Our Tuesday Transformation involved taking an open space and keeping it that way, but with some improvements that were easy to maintain. We removed the bark from the ground and added cleaner looking gravel, which makes the yard look more finished and open. We cleared the overgrowth from the garden beds and added bark, which creates contrast and depth between the ground cover and raised beds. The foliage was also pruned and shaped, allowing for better viewing of plants of diff

Thank you for the feature Su Casa Magazine! Su Casa Northern New Mexico Winter 2018 | Digital Edition

Thank you for the engagement! Keep sending in your curious questions. Q: I have some bare spots in my yard that are covered with creeping juniper. Do you have any suggestions on when is the best time to plant Junipers and how should I go about doing it? A: First, make sure to dig a hole twice the size of the root ball of your new juniper. You want to make the hole deep enough to plant the creeping juniper at roughly the same level it is planted at inside the container. After

Although spring may not be here yet, it is never to early to start looking at early spring flowers. This week's Phil favorite is Forsythia, a showy, deciduous shrub with a broad, rounded outline on an upright form that absolutely explodes with masses of soft yellow flowers to herald the arrival of spring. Use as a barrier hedge or screen or plant as a stand along shrub. Easy to grow in average to poor, well-drained soils. Part to full sun. Prune to shape after bloom. Zone: 3

This week's Transformation Tuesday not only made the client's landscape great to look at but also addressed some potentially serious problems: The client's front yard was sloped toward the entrance. This posed a problem when it would rain as bark, debris, and water would build up and flow towards the front porch, flooding, and creating a mess. To tackle the issue, we added a moss rock flowerbed with a few shrubs and grasses which also hid the telephone box. By adding some bea

This week's question is a little more technical but we have your answer! Q: I see in so many landscaped pictures the area immediately around trees is in a perfect circle or close to it. I have tried to use an edger, and a shovel to dig it out but, I can never make the circles look that good. How do you guys do it? A: By pulling the lawn or gravel back away from your trees not only improves the appearance of your yard but it is also good for the health of the trees. It can be

A beautiful and bright Phil's Favorite: Pyracantha Zone: 5 - 8 Hardy evergreen to semi-evergreen prized for its bright orange berries that persist into winter. A favorite nesting spot for birds. Use as a barrier hedge or screen. Full sun. Reaches up to 10 ft. tall and 8 ft. wide.

This week we would like to showcase a different Transformation Tuesday: Maintenance Marvel! Pictured is a rental property that had not been maintained for 5-7 months. This presented several issues, including numerous fire hazards, a breeding ground for snakes and rodents, safety concerns due to the uneven footing, and was very unsightly. Fire prevention dictates keeping a 30-foot buffer of clear land between the structure and foliage. 16 man-hours later - including the use of

This great question was emailed to us last week. How fitting as the weather has gotten a bit colder: Q: How often should I water during the winter month, especially since it has been a dry winter thus far? A: You should water at least every 2 weeks. Water during midday since it is a bit warmer and the water can soak into the ground before it freezes. It’s important to water anything that was newly planted. as well as areas that get full sun or is exposed to windy conditions.

Hillside Creeper Scotch Pine (Pinus sylvestris) Zone 3-7 - plant full sun or part shade. A nice ground cover that spreads out and forms flat layered branches covered with thick, green needles. The vigorous, hardy Scotch Pine, makes an excellent ground covering option for banks or walls or tucked in and around boulders.