by admin | Oct 13, 2017 | Informational
Every year about this time we get many calls about needles turning brown and shedding on various species of Pine trees. Needle drop is a natural occurring plant cycle and should not cause alarm. This is mainly an issue for white pine and Scotch pine. You will also notice it on Red Pine and Austrian Pine. Periods of drought will cause pines to shed more than normal and we are seeing that with the unusually dry year we have experienced. Typically, pines will hold only one to two years of needles and they will turn brown and drop in the...
by knappvalley | Apr 22, 2013 | Informational, This Month in the Garden
Time to get things looking nice again after the long winter. What makes a yard look better than some fresh mulch?! Benefits of Mulching Mulch gives your landscape a well kept manicured appearance. Mulch helps the soil retain moisture. Mulch controls and slows weed growth. Mulch helps insulate the root zone of your plantings by moderating soil temperatures throughout the year. Mulch decomposes improving the soils ability to provide air, moisture, and nutrients. Mulch helps to control erosion by slowing runoff and absorbing rainwater. Mulch helps to reduce soil compaction. Mulch reduces the likelihood of damage from weed whips and lawn mowers. Proper Mulching Techniques If mulch is already present, check the depth. Mulch should only be three to four inches deep. If trees or shrubs have been mulched too heavily, remove or redistribute excess mulch as needed. Rake the old mulch and break up the matted layers that may have formed before applying more. Do not allow mulch to come in contact with the bark of a plant by being piled up against the trunk. Keep mulch three to four inches from the trunk of trees and shrubs. Extend mulch to the drip-line of the plant. The primary benefit of mulching occurs in the root zone of the...
by knappvalley | Oct 1, 2012 | Informational, Uncategorized |
We recently had the privilege of working with a couple of artists from Indiana, Chad Copeland and Alyssa Banas on their ArtPrize entry. Chad called us a couple months back and asked if we would donate some stone for the pond feature part of their art entry. Knapp Valley agreed to help them out and even allowed them to borrow a truck to haul the stone downtown to their venue at The B.O.B. After setting up “Forgive Our Trespasses” the artists asked if we would help them out further and landscape around their art. Eager to support the arts, Knapp Valley sent down a crew and “beautified” the area surrounding the art. The landscaping really made a huge difference as you can see from the before & after images. This is the artists’ description of their work, “Our collaborative works address many relevant issues of the modern world. Concerns with environmental destruction, overpopulation, and notions of the apocalypse, are on the forefront of our minds. Daily reminders of these issues, influence our artwork on an encompassing scale. As a whole, we gravitate towards recycled materials; these objects tend to guide our vision. When people see our work, we hope they are inspired to repurpose discarded materials. Our sculpture “Forgive our Trespasses,” fulfills this mission because it touches on the innocence of childhood, the purity of nature, and the disruption of these cycles by human consumption and waste.” If you haven’t checked out ArtPrize yet, take advantage of this beautiful fall weather and see all the awesome works of art. Stop by “Forgive our Trespasses” and check out Chad &...
by knappvalley | Aug 24, 2012 | Informational, Uncategorized |
The one job that never goes away is the need to weed, prune, deadhead, and the general cleanup of garden beds. At Knapp Valley we offer a service that covers these sometimes overwhelming tasks. Our maintenance team will get to know you and your garden to help develop a plan that fits both needs. Whether it be one visit at the beginning and end of the year or a visit once every two weeks we can help keep your gardens looking good. Weeding and Deadheading Though weeding and deadheading may be simple tasks, sometimes the amount of work exceeds one’s ability to complete it well. At Knapp Valley we offer our services of bed maintenance to complete small to large weeding/deadheading jobs. Our maintenance crew has years of experience knowing what is and what is not a weed. Also, they have been trained to know what to cut back and when to deadhead each perennial to keep your garden bed looking good all year round. With our maintenance teams’ help you need not worry about weeding and deadheading, our crew will deal with it for you. Pruning To keep the plants healthy around your home pruning is a necessary task, but what do you do when you are not sure how to prune a tree or how much to take off of a shrub? You can call Knapp Valley and we will send out or maintenance crew to do if for you. The crew is well experienced in dealing with all sorts of pruning jobs. From the smallest shrubs to larger trees our crews have dealt with...
by knappvalley | Aug 15, 2012 | Featured Plants, Informational |
Ornamental grasses have become increasingly popular over recent years. They provide a wide array of functions in gardens and landscapes. They can be used as backdrops, borders, screens, accents, ground cover, and erosion control. There are hundreds to choose from with different heights, colors, and textures. Some are grown for their plumes while others are grown for their foliage and form. They come in many forms from low-growing and spreading to large clumps. Most ornamental grasses bloom late summer into fall and can provide beautiful late-season color and many offer year-round interest. There are ornamental grasses available to fit the needs of any garden! Short Grasses: Under 2’ Short clumping grasses make excellent border & sidewalk plants, while shorter spreading grasses work well in mass-plantings as ground-covers. Short grasses also standout in rock garden plantings and in planters. Some of our favorite shorter grasses include Blue Fescue, Blue Oat Grass, Tuft Hair Grass, and sedges like Ice Dance. Some good companion plants with short grasses include lavender and bell flowers. Medium Grasses: 2’-4’ Mid-sized grasses work well in perennial borders, as accents among shrubs and perennials and should also be considered for screens. Some of our favorite mid-sized grasses include Switch Grasses, some of the Maiden Grasses, Little Blue Stem and Karl Foerster Grass. Mid-sized grasses pair nicely with daylilies, Coreopsis and Liatris. Tall Grasses: 5’+ Tall grasses add a nice vertical element to landscapes. There are some ornamental grasses that will grow up to 15’ tall. Of the tall grasses, Pampas grass is probably the most well-known. Unfortunately, it is not hardy in this area, so some nice...
by knappvalley | Aug 6, 2012 | Informational |
One of the most common problems people come to us with is that deer are eating all of their plants! What plants can you put in your garden that are deer resistant? What method works best for keeping deer out of your yard? There are several plants that are “deer-resistant,” however, this does not guarantee that deer will stay away from them; it means they are less likely to eat these than others. If deer are hungry enough and there is nothing else to eat, you betcha they will snack on your Echinacea! There is still less chance they will eat “deer resistant” plants, so it is worth the shot, especially if deer frequent your yard. Some of our favorite “deer resistant” plants are Barberry, Boxwood, Rose of Sharon, Weigela and Viburnum. They are classic, functional and standout plants and deer will avoid them for the most part unless they are starving. If deer visit your yard and leave it looking worse for wear, eating even your “deer resistant” plants, you may want to try another method. Deer repellents are another great option. There are several different repellents on the market which you may need to experiment with before finding the one that works best for you. Most also require reapplication every thirty days or after heavy rainfalls. At Knapp Valley we have had success with Liquid Fence & Sweeney’s Deer Repellent, which we carry in our Garden Center. To use Liquid Fence, spray liberally on all plants and their perimeter. Repeat a week later and then once per month thereafter, re-applying after heavy rainfalls. Sweeney’s Deer...
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