Monthly Archives: November 2011

Phase One Landscapes is Thankful for You!

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The day has come in which family and friends across the country will join together in celebrating all that they are thankful for as will we. The entire Phase One Landscapes staff has much to be thankful for and one of those things is you, our readers. We appreciate you visiting our blog for the latest in industry trends, tips and hints on caring for your landscape, ideas on how to go green and everything else landscape related. With that being said we wish you a happy Thanksgiving and we look forward to bringing you more on landscape design after the holiday!

How to Winterize Your Water Garden

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Did you install a water garden in your landscape during the warmer part of the year and now that the temperature has dropped a considerable amount you aren’t sure what you should be doing? In order to protect your water garden and ensure that it is in top condition when the weather warms up you must take the proper steps to winterize it. If you are unsure of how to prepare your water garden for winter keep these steps in mind…

Phase One Landscapes, Inc.

  • Remove dead plants and fallen leaves from your feature so they don’t take oxygen away from any fish you have present.
  • Remove the pump and plumbing hoses from the water and drain them. Store them in a bucket of water to prevent the seals from drying out.
  • Remove any tropical and place them in a bucket of damp sand to be stored in a warm location.
  • Remove fish from a pond and transfer them to bowl or tank.
  • If your feature has a rigid liner drain all the water so it doesn’t cause damage from freezing.
  • Cover your water garden with a net or wire mesh to keep out leaves and debris.

If you have any questions on protecting your water feature throughout the fall and winter give us a call at 303-750-6060.

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Begin Planning Your Outdoor Room this Winter

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Have you have been dreaming about warm weather since the very first day Denver experienced frigid temperatures? If so make your dreams of carefree lounging in the comforts of your backyard a reality and begin planning your outdoor room this winter. Winter is the best time to begin preparing for your outdoor room because it can be complete or nearly complete by the time the warm weather kicks back in. Now is also a good time because not as many people are seeking landscape architects, which means even more focus will go towards your project.

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If you want to be able to enjoy the first nice day of spring in your very own outdoor room begin planning it now keeping these things in mind:

  • You must first decide the purpose of your outdoor space and what it will be used for.
  • Keep the architectural style consistent and complementary of that of your home and any of the other structures in your landscape.
  • Make sure your space will be convenient and easily accessible to your home; connecting to it as an extension if possible.
  • Consider the big picture and the view you will have from your outdoor room, as well the view from the outside in.

If you are ready to begin planning your outdoor room this fall call Phase One Landscapes at 303-750-6060

 

Keep Warm in Your Landscape with an Outdoor Fireplace

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Even though things have cooled off rather rapidly do you still enjoy walking through your landscape taking in the great outdoors? In order to spend more time in your landscape throughout the fall and winter months we suggest you add an outdoor fireplace to keep warm. Outdoor fireplaces are one of the latest must-have landscape accessories due to their function and visual appeal.

Aside from the obvious function of keeping you and your guests warm an outdoor fireplace will add value to your property and take the design of your landscape to the next level. No matter the style of your home or other landscape architecture features, whether it’s classic, contemporary or anything in between, we will be able to create a fireplace design that keeps the style uniform and fluid.

Fireplace design by Phase One Landscapes

Fireplace design by Phase One Landscapes

For more information on how you can keep warm in your landscape with an outdoor fireplace call Phase One Landscapes, Inc. if you are in the Denver area.

The Reason for Beautiful Fall Foliage

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Now that we are just over a full month into fall have you had the time to enjoy Denver’s fall foliage? If so you may have wondered why and how leaves actually change colors, being that this crosses most people’s minds around this time of year so we would like to share the reason for beautiful fall foliage with you.

Leaves contain raw materials, products and by-products which are all in chemical form and some happen to have color. When the tree begins to abandon the leaf the green chlorophyll, which is the dominant chemical found in most leaves, is broken down and recycled by the tree other-colored chemicals are left behind. Supply lines to the leaves also become clogged and if the major chemical remaining in the abandoned leaf is red, then the leaf turns red. If it’s yellow, then the leaf turns yellow and so forth.

The variation in color intensity from year to year is due to varying weather conditions, which can affect the balance of chemicals and their composition in the leaves. Differing amounts of rainfall, sunlight, temperature, humidity and other factors may have an effect on how bright, how quickly and how long the colorful season will be. (Tree Care Tips)

So tell us, where is your favorite place to admire fall foliage in Denver?

Photo Credit: dfran07 via flickr

Tips on Fall Compost and Garden Clean-up

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As fall is settling in and winter begins to head our way it’s time to head out into your garden and clean things up if you have yet to do so. If you aren’t quite sure what you should be doing when it comes to tying up the loose ends to your garden and composting now that season is over we would like to share a few tips courtesy of the Associated Landscape Contractors of Colorado…

  • Leave some plants that provide winter food for birds and other wildlife–like sunflowers, Echinacea and ornamental grasses.
  • Pick up all dead fruit and veggies from the ground.
  • Know which plants are best to pitch in the compost pile–and which ones are not.
  • Do compost leaves, grass clippings, straw, non-diseased plant debris and weeds, if they have not gone to seed.
  • Avoid composting any plants which are diseased and large pumpkin and squash vines because they take too long to decompose.  Because tomato plants often carry diseases, some gardeners avoid composting them altogether.
  • Finally, add mulch over the garden to maintain soil quality.  Add straw, a fresh layer of compost or use grass clippings from the final lawn mowing.

If you are in the Denver area and you need help with your landscape this fall call Phase One Landscapes, Inc. at 303-750-6060.

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Top Fall Blooms for the Mountain West

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Have you ever passed by an eye-catching landscapes in the fall and wondered about the gorgeous blooms it featured? They aren’t lucky remnants from spring or summer, but flowers that thrive and provide beautiful blooms throughout the cooler season. And not only are a select few of fall flowers able to withstand cooler temperatures, but they are able to emit deep and intense colors to liven up your landscape. If you would like to see a few beautiful flowers featured in your landscape throughout fall consider incorporating the top fall blooming flowers for the Mountain West which include…

Hyssop

Bergenia

Coralbells

MiscanthusImages from BHG

 

What do you think about the top blooming flowers for the Mountain West? Share your thoughts about whether you would incorporate them in your landscape in the comments section below.