Articles
LED Landscape Lighting
January 10, 2008
Posted by: Andy
Outdoor landscape lighting has many benefits. A well-designed landscape lighting plan will increase the aesthetic appearance of your home and garden and highlight the features of your property. Landscape lighting expands your living space by allowing you to enjoy your outdoor environment after dark. It also improves the safety of your home or business.
For years the only choice for landscape lighting was incandescent or low-voltage halogen. More recently, LED landscape lighting has become a viable and cost-effective option for outdoor lighting.
LED landscape lighting has several advantages over traditional outdoor lighting options:
1. Longevity. LED outdoor lighting has a useful life of up to 100,000 hours. If you operated your LED landscape lights for an average of 8 hours each night year-round the lights would last for 30 years or more. This means that you can enjoy your outdoor lighting rather than having to spend countless hours changing damaged or burned out bulbs. Traditional halogen replacement bulbs are also expensive so you will save a significant amount of money over the lifetime of the lights.
2. Energy-Efficiency. LED landscape lights are 80% more efficient than traditional outdoor lighting solutions. Over the long life of the LED light this will translate into substantial cost savings. Utilizing an energy efficient lighting option is also the sustainable and environmentally responsible choice.
3. More Lighting Options. Because of the size and longevity of the LED light, several luminaire designs are available that simply were not possible with traditional landscape lighting.
4. The Green Choice. Because of its super-efficiency and long-lasting bulbs, LED landscape lighting has much less of an impact on the environment than traditional outdoor lighting options. You'll use less energy and create less waste.
keywords: LED lighting, landscape lighting, landscape seattle, lawn care seattle, landcape maintenance seattle.
Environmental Guidelines for Responsible Lawn Care and Landscaping
January 6, 2008
Link to Industry News
From U.S. EPA Pesticide Environmental Stewardship Program
The National Lawns and Environment Initiative began in 2002 with the goal of encouraging environmentally-responsible lawn and landscaping practices in residential landscape design and maintenance. The U.S. EPA is a member of the steering committee, along with USDA, the Center for Resource Management, the San Antonio Water System, the National Gardening Association, the University of Florida, Audubon International, Professional Landcare Network, and Golf Course Superintendents Association of America.
In 2005 the Initiative produced the Environmental Guidelines for Responsible Lawn Care and Landscaping (28 pp, 428 K, about PDF). These practices include appropriate uses of pesticides, fertilizers, water, plants, and stewardship principles that will enhance the value and benefits of residential landscapes to homeowners, communities, and wildlife.
The Initiative’s mission is not only to develop consensus-based guidelines, but also to encourage the public to adopt them. It has supported demonstration projects in EPA’s Region 3 and the San Antonio Water System. These projects will measure their success in comparison to neighborhoods that do not undergo public education campaigns.
The final document contains a strong environmental message and practical advice for homeowners. Each organization on the steering committee signed an agreement form for the Proclamation of Ten Guiding Principles for Responsible Lawn Care and Landscaping (1 pp, 372 K, about PDF). These principles and practical tips or examples include the following :
Ten Principles for Sound Landscaping Practices
1. Learn About Your Site or Yard
• Have soil tested to determine if nutrients/amendments are needed.
• Identify sensitive areas such as wildlife nesting places.
• Identify problem spots that can be improved with proper landscaping.
2. Choose the Right Plant for the Right Spot
• Select locally adapted species that require less water, fertilizer, pruning and pesticides.
• Choose the right plant for the right spot that meets the plant requirements for sun, water, and climate
conditions.
• Avoid growing invasive plant species.
3. Learn About Your Site or Yard
• If a fertilizer is needed, choose an organic or conventional product that best fits the needs of your plants and
soil conditions.
• Always read and follow the label directions and never apply more than necessary.
4. Reduce Waste and Recycle Nutrients
• Leave grass clippings in place to provide nitrogen to the lawn.
• Make compost that can be used as a natural fertilizer and can add organic matter, microbes and earthworms
to the soil.
5. Attract and Protect Wildlife
• Choose plants that can provide food and shelter for birds and other wildlife.
• Consider a backyard pond to provide water for wildlife.
• Add flowering annuals and perennials that can attract birds, butterflies and bees, which are important
pollinators.
6. Manage Yard Pests Responsibly
• Correctly identify any pests and the type of problems they may create.
• Change conditions that invite pest problems such as over watering, improper mowing, etc. If problems persist
choose an organic or conventional product that best fits your situation; spot treat for problems and don't
use a weed and feed lawn product unless your problem is widespread.
• Always read and follow label directions.
7. Use Water Wisely
• Choose plants that are locally adapted or drought tolerant.
• Irrigate lawns infrequently but deeply to the depth of the root zone.
• Make sure irrigation systems are adjusted properly and repair any leaks.
• Consider drip systems to gardens, shrubs and trees.
8. Mow and Prune Responsibly
• Cut your lawn at the highest recommended mower setting leaving it about 3 inches long for lawns in the
north and 1-2 inches in the south.
• Keep mower tuned up and blades sharp.
• Prune properly to retain a tree, shrub or plant's natural form and reduce dead or diseased material.
9. Prevent Landscape Pollution
• Prevent fertilizers, pesticides, yard debris or pet waste from entering water sources or waste water systems.
• Use pesticides and fertilizers only when and where needed.
• Dispose of oils, paints and other toxic materials in the proper community waste management system and not
down storm drains.
10. Reduce Storm Water Runoff
• Slow the rate of runoff and increase soil permeability by adding organic mulch to soil and landscape plantings
to intercept runoff.
• Minimize soil erosion by designing the landscape to spread water flow across the ground surface.
• Set mower height high to help prevent storm water runoff.
January 10, 2008
Posted by: Andy
Outdoor landscape lighting has many benefits. A well-designed landscape lighting plan will increase the aesthetic appearance of your home and garden and highlight the features of your property. Landscape lighting expands your living space by allowing you to enjoy your outdoor environment after dark. It also improves the safety of your home or business.
For years the only choice for landscape lighting was incandescent or low-voltage halogen. More recently, LED landscape lighting has become a viable and cost-effective option for outdoor lighting.
LED landscape lighting has several advantages over traditional outdoor lighting options:
1. Longevity. LED outdoor lighting has a useful life of up to 100,000 hours. If you operated your LED landscape lights for an average of 8 hours each night year-round the lights would last for 30 years or more. This means that you can enjoy your outdoor lighting rather than having to spend countless hours changing damaged or burned out bulbs. Traditional halogen replacement bulbs are also expensive so you will save a significant amount of money over the lifetime of the lights.
2. Energy-Efficiency. LED landscape lights are 80% more efficient than traditional outdoor lighting solutions. Over the long life of the LED light this will translate into substantial cost savings. Utilizing an energy efficient lighting option is also the sustainable and environmentally responsible choice.
3. More Lighting Options. Because of the size and longevity of the LED light, several luminaire designs are available that simply were not possible with traditional landscape lighting.
4. The Green Choice. Because of its super-efficiency and long-lasting bulbs, LED landscape lighting has much less of an impact on the environment than traditional outdoor lighting options. You'll use less energy and create less waste.
keywords: LED lighting, landscape lighting, landscape seattle, lawn care seattle, landcape maintenance seattle.
Environmental Guidelines for Responsible Lawn Care and Landscaping
January 6, 2008
Link to Industry News
From U.S. EPA Pesticide Environmental Stewardship Program
The National Lawns and Environment Initiative began in 2002 with the goal of encouraging environmentally-responsible lawn and landscaping practices in residential landscape design and maintenance. The U.S. EPA is a member of the steering committee, along with USDA, the Center for Resource Management, the San Antonio Water System, the National Gardening Association, the University of Florida, Audubon International, Professional Landcare Network, and Golf Course Superintendents Association of America.
In 2005 the Initiative produced the Environmental Guidelines for Responsible Lawn Care and Landscaping (28 pp, 428 K, about PDF). These practices include appropriate uses of pesticides, fertilizers, water, plants, and stewardship principles that will enhance the value and benefits of residential landscapes to homeowners, communities, and wildlife.
The Initiative’s mission is not only to develop consensus-based guidelines, but also to encourage the public to adopt them. It has supported demonstration projects in EPA’s Region 3 and the San Antonio Water System. These projects will measure their success in comparison to neighborhoods that do not undergo public education campaigns.
The final document contains a strong environmental message and practical advice for homeowners. Each organization on the steering committee signed an agreement form for the Proclamation of Ten Guiding Principles for Responsible Lawn Care and Landscaping (1 pp, 372 K, about PDF). These principles and practical tips or examples include the following :
Ten Principles for Sound Landscaping Practices
1. Learn About Your Site or Yard
• Have soil tested to determine if nutrients/amendments are needed.
• Identify sensitive areas such as wildlife nesting places.
• Identify problem spots that can be improved with proper landscaping.
2. Choose the Right Plant for the Right Spot
• Select locally adapted species that require less water, fertilizer, pruning and pesticides.
• Choose the right plant for the right spot that meets the plant requirements for sun, water, and climate
conditions.
• Avoid growing invasive plant species.
3. Learn About Your Site or Yard
• If a fertilizer is needed, choose an organic or conventional product that best fits the needs of your plants and
soil conditions.
• Always read and follow the label directions and never apply more than necessary.
4. Reduce Waste and Recycle Nutrients
• Leave grass clippings in place to provide nitrogen to the lawn.
• Make compost that can be used as a natural fertilizer and can add organic matter, microbes and earthworms
to the soil.
5. Attract and Protect Wildlife
• Choose plants that can provide food and shelter for birds and other wildlife.
• Consider a backyard pond to provide water for wildlife.
• Add flowering annuals and perennials that can attract birds, butterflies and bees, which are important
pollinators.
6. Manage Yard Pests Responsibly
• Correctly identify any pests and the type of problems they may create.
• Change conditions that invite pest problems such as over watering, improper mowing, etc. If problems persist
choose an organic or conventional product that best fits your situation; spot treat for problems and don't
use a weed and feed lawn product unless your problem is widespread.
• Always read and follow label directions.
7. Use Water Wisely
• Choose plants that are locally adapted or drought tolerant.
• Irrigate lawns infrequently but deeply to the depth of the root zone.
• Make sure irrigation systems are adjusted properly and repair any leaks.
• Consider drip systems to gardens, shrubs and trees.
8. Mow and Prune Responsibly
• Cut your lawn at the highest recommended mower setting leaving it about 3 inches long for lawns in the
north and 1-2 inches in the south.
• Keep mower tuned up and blades sharp.
• Prune properly to retain a tree, shrub or plant's natural form and reduce dead or diseased material.
9. Prevent Landscape Pollution
• Prevent fertilizers, pesticides, yard debris or pet waste from entering water sources or waste water systems.
• Use pesticides and fertilizers only when and where needed.
• Dispose of oils, paints and other toxic materials in the proper community waste management system and not
down storm drains.
10. Reduce Storm Water Runoff
• Slow the rate of runoff and increase soil permeability by adding organic mulch to soil and landscape plantings
to intercept runoff.
• Minimize soil erosion by designing the landscape to spread water flow across the ground surface.
• Set mower height high to help prevent storm water runoff.
keywords: lawn care seattle, landscape seattle, landscape maintenance seattle.
Moss – Symptom of a Stressed Lawn
January 3, 2008
Posted by: Andy
Seattle’s wet winters provide the ideal growth conditions for moss in lawns. For many homeowners, moss is an unwelcome annoyance in their little patch of green.
Moss likes to take off where grass is patchy, bare or spotty. Weeds can also take advantage of these gaps to spread out. Chemicals are available for killing moss, but unless you fix the conditions that encourage moss, it will eventually return.
Lawns are stressed by too much shade, poor soil drainage/soil compaction, and low fertility.
Here are some common solutions:
Too much shade
Most grass varieties do not like shade, even "shade-tolerant" varieties.
Pruning overhanging trees and shrubs may increase some sunlight on the lawn, but this is generally a losing battle, and may ultimately damage the trees and shrubs.
Why not replace the shady lawn with shade-tolerant ground covers or a shade garden? Many Western Washington native plants like evergreen huckleberry, low Oregon grape, and ferns, to name a few, are perfect for shady spots in our region.
Poor soil drainage/soil compaction
Think of all the footsteps that have walked over your lawn. Every step compacts the soil beneath lawn, and ultimately water and fertilizer can't reach the grass roots. Give your lawn a lift by aerating it.
Core aeration, followed by topdressing, loosens soil and improves drainage. How does it work? Core aerators remove small soil plugs or cores from the lawn, allowing water, oxygen, fertilizers, and other nutrients to penetrate the soil and better reach the grass roots.
Topdressing is the process of adding a thin layer (1/8 to 1/4 inch) of soil or organic compost over the aerated lawn. Over time, topdressing benefits the lawn by improving the fertility and drainage of the underlying soil.
Low fertility
Moderate lawn fertilization during appropriate seasons will improve the health of the lawn, which promotes denser grass cover and allows the grass to out-compete moss and weeds. Be sure to use a "natural organic" or "slow-release" release fertilizer to reduce leaching or runoff into our local streams.
Moss – Symptom of a Stressed Lawn
January 3, 2008
Posted by: Andy
Seattle’s wet winters provide the ideal growth conditions for moss in lawns. For many homeowners, moss is an unwelcome annoyance in their little patch of green.
Moss likes to take off where grass is patchy, bare or spotty. Weeds can also take advantage of these gaps to spread out. Chemicals are available for killing moss, but unless you fix the conditions that encourage moss, it will eventually return.
Lawns are stressed by too much shade, poor soil drainage/soil compaction, and low fertility.
Here are some common solutions:
Too much shade
Most grass varieties do not like shade, even "shade-tolerant" varieties.
Pruning overhanging trees and shrubs may increase some sunlight on the lawn, but this is generally a losing battle, and may ultimately damage the trees and shrubs.
Why not replace the shady lawn with shade-tolerant ground covers or a shade garden? Many Western Washington native plants like evergreen huckleberry, low Oregon grape, and ferns, to name a few, are perfect for shady spots in our region.
Poor soil drainage/soil compaction
Think of all the footsteps that have walked over your lawn. Every step compacts the soil beneath lawn, and ultimately water and fertilizer can't reach the grass roots. Give your lawn a lift by aerating it.
Core aeration, followed by topdressing, loosens soil and improves drainage. How does it work? Core aerators remove small soil plugs or cores from the lawn, allowing water, oxygen, fertilizers, and other nutrients to penetrate the soil and better reach the grass roots.
Topdressing is the process of adding a thin layer (1/8 to 1/4 inch) of soil or organic compost over the aerated lawn. Over time, topdressing benefits the lawn by improving the fertility and drainage of the underlying soil.
Low fertility
Moderate lawn fertilization during appropriate seasons will improve the health of the lawn, which promotes denser grass cover and allows the grass to out-compete moss and weeds. Be sure to use a "natural organic" or "slow-release" release fertilizer to reduce leaching or runoff into our local streams.
keywords: lawn care seattle, landscape seattle, landscape maintenance seattle.
A Green Solution for Your Holiday LightingDecember 15, 2007
Posted by: Andy
Incandescent lighting has been the standard in holiday and Christmas lighting since it replaced candles over 100 years ago. However, in the last 3 years LED holiday and Christmas lighting has become increasingly available to consumers through the internet and retail stores. Although LED technology has been around since the seventies, until recently its use was largely limited to applications in commercial instrument display panels. Recent improvements in LED technology have made LED lighting viable in other applications such as LED Christmas lights.
LED lighting is preferable to standard incandescent lighting for several reasons:
Environmentally Friendly - Because LED lamps use so little energy and are longer lasting, they are an environmentally responsible choice in Christmas or holiday lighting.
Energy Efficiency - LED lamps use approximately 90% less energy than standard incandescent lights.
Safety - LED lamps operate at approximately 1 degree Fahrenheit above room temperature and are safer than incandescent lights which are responsible for over 300 home fires each holiday season.
Longevity - LED lamps will last for 50,000 hours or more compared to about 2,000 for standard incandescent lamps.
Durability - LED lamps are more durable because they do not contain a fragile filament and are covered in hard plastic not glass like incandescent lamps.
Although LED holiday and Christmas lighting is more expensive than standard incandescent string lighting, LED lights will pay for themselves in a few seasons. A household which illuminates an average size Christmas tree with LED lights will save approximately $12 per year in electricity compared to incandescent mini lights. The savings jump to over $70 per year for those who like to use the larger C9 model lights. The cost savings can be even more significant for those Christmas lighting fanatics out there.
A 2003 report conducted by the U.S. EPA estimated that the U.S. consumes about 2,220,000 KWh of electricity each year to illuminate miniature holiday lights. (*2,220,000 KWh is enough electricity to run approximately 200 homes for an entire year.) Based on these figures, the EPA report concluded that a 20% market shift to LED holiday or Christmas lights would reduce annual electricity consumption in the U.S. by 400,000KWh. These figures are especially compelling when one considers that this report only took into consideration miniature holiday lights used for a period of approximately 30 days.
HolidayLEDs.com offers LED holiday and Christmas lights suitable for general home use and a professional grade suitable for larger installations. Both types can be purchased online through HolidayLEDs’ website at www.holidayleds.com.
keywords: LED lighting, landscape lighting seattle.
Leaves!
November 13, 2007
Posted by: Phuong
Fall is here and that means one thing for gardeners and homeowners: leaves and lots of them.
What should you do with all those fall leaves?
Before you bag it and leave it on the curb, consider ways to recycle the leaves on your property. You can use the leaves as an organic mulch around your plant beds or add them to your compost pile to create rich fertile soil that you can use in several months.
Here's what you can do:
1. If you use the leaves as mulch, which helps suppress weeds, be sure not to pile them on too thick. Too thick a layer on the grass or around your plants can smother it, lead to pests and rot your grass or other plants.
2. Use a mulch-lawn mover to shred the leaves into tiny pieces (no thicker than 1-inch) and leave them on your lawn to decompose, returning nutrients to your lawn without smothering it.
3. Leaves can also be composted by simply leaving them in a pile in your backyard. This is a simpler, but longer compost process.
4. Mix the leaves with other organic matter in a compost pile, the leaves will break down faster. Good compost piles need a balance of nitrogren and carbon, which creates good conditions for microbes that decompose the plant materials. Leaves, shredded newspapers, dead flowers and corn stalks all provide needed carbon -- the "brown" -- to balance out the nitrogren-rich "green," including grass clippings or plant clippings. The smaller the pieces are, the faster they'll compost. The pile will need a proper amount water and air. If it's too wet, it'll become anaerobic and start to smell. Too dry, and the pile won't do much.
For more information about composting --
http://www.seattle.gov/util/Services/Yard/Composting/index.asp
http://www.seattletilth.org/resources/compost
November 13, 2007
Posted by: Phuong
Fall is here and that means one thing for gardeners and homeowners: leaves and lots of them.
What should you do with all those fall leaves?
Before you bag it and leave it on the curb, consider ways to recycle the leaves on your property. You can use the leaves as an organic mulch around your plant beds or add them to your compost pile to create rich fertile soil that you can use in several months.
Here's what you can do:
1. If you use the leaves as mulch, which helps suppress weeds, be sure not to pile them on too thick. Too thick a layer on the grass or around your plants can smother it, lead to pests and rot your grass or other plants.
2. Use a mulch-lawn mover to shred the leaves into tiny pieces (no thicker than 1-inch) and leave them on your lawn to decompose, returning nutrients to your lawn without smothering it.
3. Leaves can also be composted by simply leaving them in a pile in your backyard. This is a simpler, but longer compost process.
4. Mix the leaves with other organic matter in a compost pile, the leaves will break down faster. Good compost piles need a balance of nitrogren and carbon, which creates good conditions for microbes that decompose the plant materials. Leaves, shredded newspapers, dead flowers and corn stalks all provide needed carbon -- the "brown" -- to balance out the nitrogren-rich "green," including grass clippings or plant clippings. The smaller the pieces are, the faster they'll compost. The pile will need a proper amount water and air. If it's too wet, it'll become anaerobic and start to smell. Too dry, and the pile won't do much.
For more information about composting --
http://www.seattle.gov/util/Services/Yard/Composting/index.asp
http://www.seattletilth.org/resources/compost
keywords: lawn care seattle, landscape seattle, landscape maintenance seattle.
