Link: A follow up on the subject of mulching

Check out this link about mulching:
http://hgic.clemson.edu/factsheets/HGIC1604.htm

Mulch Ado About Nothing: 6 Reasons to Maintain Ground Cover Year Round

Choosing the right ground cover can make the difference between a "nice" yard and one that makes you sit up and say "Wow!" The right mulch can keep your lawn healthy, protect against the elements and provide a little visual polish to any landscaping. Here are six benefits of paying attention to your ground cover:

1. Conserve Moisture
Mulch fills in and covers the exposed soil areas of your yard, where you lose most water to evaporation. By holding the moisture in, you save money by reducing the need to water as frequently.

2. Control Weeds
Weeds are tenacious once they sprout, mixing in with the root systems of your bedded plants, making them nearly impossible to eradicate. Your best bet at controlling them is to rob them of the sunlight they need to grow those first few crucial inches. A nice, thick, healthy layer of mulch will do just that, keeping your beds and the bases of your trees clean and clear.

3. Reduce Erosion
Those exposed areas where you lose a lot of moisture are also the places where erosion first sets in, chipping away at your lawn and beds inch by inch. Keeping them covered acts to hold the soil in place and dissipates rainwater so it doesn't form gullies in the middle of your well-manicured lawn.

4. Keep roots cool
When you go outside in the spring and summer, you know that it's a good idea to wear sunscreen, right? Ground cover serves the same purpose, shielding root systems from excessive heat that can send them into crisis mode, and keeping them calm and cool.

5. Winter Protection
And the same thing that keeps them cool in the summer will keep them warm in the winter, protecting the roots from the cold, even when it snows or ices over. And good, thick mulch produces head as it decomposes, providing an extra layer of protection in frigid temperatures.

6. Aesthetic Touch
Finally, the right ground cover keeps exposed earth out of sight, and provides a unifying accent that ties your whole yard together, similar to the trim on your home's exterior. And you can actually get ground cover elements tailored to fit the feel of your home's exterior.

So keep an eye on your mulch, and make sure you replace it when it starts looking worn, thin or uneven. It will pay off with a happy, healthy lawn you'll be proud of.

The Value of a Healthy Lawn is More than Just Aesthetic

A well-kept, healthy lawn is something to be proud of, especially in drought conditions. But a recent Michigan State University study estimates that good landscaping adds 5 to 11 percent to a home’s value. Other studies place that figure as high as 20 percent, making maintenance of your existing landscapes during a drought even more critical.

A thorough water audit can help you identify simple ways to keep your yard lush and green, even under the harshest conditions, like tweaking your irrigation schedule and installing root irrigation systems to reduce water-loss to evaporation. Rainwater harvesting, water features and even hardscaping are other options that can increase your lawn’s appeal and your home’s value.

Ecoscaping: the next generation in landscape and irrigation design

In the midst of the record drought that has Georgia and the entire southeast in its clutches, there are homes out there with lush, green lawns, and bubbling water features that make the rest of us green with envy. To make matters worse...they're water bills are lower, too! It just doesn't seem fair, does it?


Well, it is. And it's all thanks to the latest shift in the landscaping industry: something known as "ecoscaping." The whole idea behind ecoscaping is to take the best, most innovative solutions available, and use them to improve the look of a property while making the smallest possible impact on the surrounding environment.


Here are the top 5 ways you can make the transition from Lanscaping to Ecoscaping in your own yard.


1. Rainwater Harvesting - Studies reveal that as much as 60 percent of a homes water use doesn't need the stringent treatment undergone by most water treatment facilities. Rainwater harvesting provides a great alternative source of water you can use for these tasks: things like laundry, irrigation, and washing the car, potentially reducing your use of city water (and thereby, your water bill) by up to 60%.


2. Water Features - Self contained water features can be surprisingly sophisticated, blending seamlessly with the surrounding environment to look like a natural feature. And it can be anything from a small koi pond to a bubbling brook running the full length of your yard. But, since it recycles the same water over and over, there is not constant draw on the local water supply.


3. Hardscapes - Using decorative tiles and pavers to create attractive and elegant patios, paths and even expanded drives can not only bring extra elements of architecturally interest to your home, but it can effectively reduce the amount of landscaping that needs caring for. This can reduce both the amount of water needed to maintain a healthy lawn, but also the amount of fertilizer and pesticides needed, saving you money on your water bill AND reducing the harmful impact of those chemicals reaching the environment via run-off.


4. Retaining Walls - Speaking of run-off, retaining walls add another element of structure to your landscape while helping to reduce the amount of run-off, which can not only carry household chemicals into the environment, but can also facilitate erosion within your yard.


5. WaterSense Partnerships - The best way to take advantage of this ecoscaping trend is to hire an EPA Certified WaterSense Professional. This Certification means that your provider has trained extensively in many cutting-edge techniques for helping you do more with less water. Through a thorough audit of your existing irrigation system, the layout of your yard, and the composition of your landscape elements, a WaterSense partner can assess exactly how much water your lawn needs, and create a system and schedule that could conserve water, save you money AND help you create a greener lawn...in every sense of the word.


To find a WaterSense partner in your area, simply visit http://www.epa.gov/WaterSense.

Link: Flower Planting Tips for Georgia

I found this link the other day looking for some other information. I thought some of you might find it useful.

http://www.caes.uga.edu/topics/disasters/drought/home/flowers.html

Two Simple Tips to Save Your Lawn (and Money) During a Drought

Don't Mow - When under stress, grass grows very little. If it's not necessary, don't mow it. Cool season grasses in the South can easily go for 2 or 3 weeks without mowing. And when you do mow, mow at a higher setting, as this is less traumatic for your grass.

Use Less Fertilizer - Grass needs fertilizer…just not as much as it generally gets. Try this: cut your normal "dosage" in half. If necessary, add more in 45 days but you will probably find that your grass performs fine during a drought on half the usual fertilizer. If you're under a water ban or restrictions, time your fertilizations with your watering day or before forecasted rain. It's a pain in the neck, but well worth it in the end.