Brought to you by Southern Landscape Group, Inc.

A rain garden is usually a small garden which is designed to withstand the extremes of moisture and concentrations of nutrients, particularly Nitrogen and Phosphorus. These two nutrients are found in extremes in stormwater runoff. Rain gardens are sited close to the source of the runoff and serve to slow the stormwater as it travels downhill, giving the stormwater more time to infiltrate and less opportunity to gain momentum and erosive power.

What makes a rain garden is how it gets its water & what happens to that water once it arrives in the garden.

On the surface, a rain garden looks like an attractive and healthy garden. It supports a habitat for birds and butterflies. Rain gardens can be a formal landscape element, or be incorporated into a larger garden as a border or an entryway. What makes a rain garden is how it gets its water and what happens to that water once it appears in the garden.

Below the surface, a number of processes occur which mimic the hydrologic action of a healthy forest. Soils are engineered and appropriate plants selected for the garden. The garden is a small bioretention area in which stormwater is cleaned and reduced in volume. Sediment loads in the stormwater are reduced by the action of the plants and growing media on the water. Multiple rain gardens over an area will have a positive effect on both the volume and quality of stormwater run off.

There are two basic forms of rain gardens — under-drained and self-contained. Each is incorporated to improve stormwater quality, reduce runoff volumes and facilitate infiltration of cleaned water. LEED credits are available for implementation of rain gardens.

To learn more, visit the Southern Landscape Group, Inc. website or give them a call.

Repurpose by composting

To the gardening environmentalist, “Black Gold” is neither oil nor coal… it is compost. The combination of kitchen scraps, autumn leaves, grass clippings, and bio-degradable materials make a dark and rich compost to add to plants and garden soils.

There are six easy steps to composting:

Step 1: Select a compost bin. It can be hand made or a purchased tumbling model. The hand made bin will require you to turn your compost with a rake or shovel.

Step 2: Select a location for your compost bin. A level, well drained site is preferred. Place it on the ground, not on pavement.

Step 3: Add good composting material. Mostly brown and green materials should be added, such as, leaves, straw, paper, vegetables, grass clippings, and plant cuttings.

Step 4: Keep out the bad compost material. Do not add vegetable fats or dairy products because their presence slows down the composting process. This is primarily due to a lack of oxygen. Items that could be harmful include feces, pressure treated wood, sawdust, animal fat and meat.

Step 5: Layering is key.Start with a 4 inch layer of brush. This helps air to circulate. Add four inches of brown material and a thin layer of planting soil. Add four inches of green matter topped with a thin layer of planting soil. Mist each layer lightly with a garden hose. Keep adding material in alternating layers until the bin is full and turn the mix every two weeks.

Step 6: Using compost_Your compost will nurture your plants and shrubs and will add nutrients back into the soil for a lifetime of gardening enjoyment and success.

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The green skinny on mulch

Brought to you by Scott's Mulch & More, Inc.

Choosing the right mulch can be as complicated as choosing the right plants. Mulch needs to be eco-friendly, something that will not harm the environment, children or pets. It also needs to keep the soil moist to cut back on watering and, of course, it needs to be attractive.

There are a number of eco-friendly mulches available. Some are made from natural growing plants and some from more unusual sources. The intent is to create an eco-friendly mulch that keeps materials out of landfills by recycling. Rubber mulch is made from recycled tires, but it does not look anything like tires & it keeps a non bio-degradable product out of the landfills. It is non toxic, will not attract insects and other pests like wood does, and will not blow away in the wind. There is a type of tree called melaleuca that grows in the Florida Everglades. Removing these trees actually helps the environment because they are considered to be extremely invasive. It is termite resistant and comes in many colors. Synthetic Pine Straw is made from recycled plastic, is clean, hypo allergenic, will not absorb moisture, resists termites and other insects, and comes with a 5 year warranty. Brick chips also make an ideal mulch that keeps moisture in the ground and is very attractive. Coconut Husk is another all-natural form of mulch that combats drought situations, has a nice aroma, and will not develop mildew or attract bugs.

Learn more about products such as these by contacting Scott's Mulch & More, Inc.

Trees and Shrubs.

Lawns can require a staggering amount of upkeep, but to get the perfect turf we’ve come to expect, it takes a lot of lawnmower fuel, fertilizer, lime and time. Lawns also need watering, thatching, and aerating. Depending on how far you want to take it, there are ways’ to reduce a lawn's demands or, possibly replace the lawn altogether. Planting trees and shrubs is definitely a way to make a house more comfortable in the summer and winter.

While it may be easier to build on a clear cut site, it’s hard to find anything that multitasks better than a tree. Trees can block cold winter winds and the hot summer sun, all while making the oxygen we need to breathe. It may be easier to build on a cleared job site than a wooded one. Before the chainsaw is cued up, consider the long term benefits of standing trees. Trees take a long time to reach maturity and when they become large enough to grace a site, they will also be expensive to replace. Trees block the wind and provide shade. Take time to think about how trees or their absence will affect the house when preparing a site for construction and make decisions accordingly. On a hot day it is far more comfortable to rest under the shade of a tree than in the glare of the sun. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that plantings can reduce cooling costs by 25 percent. Trees and shrubs make effective windbreaks when they’re planted (or left standing) some distance from the house, lifting wind up and over buildings. The result can be lower energy consumption and greater comfort. Windbreaks can also control drifting snow and create habitats for birds and animals.