Q: How low should my grass be cut? A: Whenever we mow a lawn at one of our properties, we have our lawn mowers set to cut the grass down to 3-3.5". By keeping the grass around this height, it helps promote root growth, helps keep the water from evaporating fast, and helps reduce weeds by preventing new sprouts from getting enough direct sunlight!

Hollyhock Alcea rosea 'Nigra' Zone 3-8 Blackish-purple flowers cover the tall stalks on this summertime stunner. Large green leaves create a beautiful base for this perennial. Blooms will bring lots of bees due to the heavy pollen. A fast grower that can quickly reach 8' tall and 2' wide. For best growth plant in full sun, but will tolerate part shade. Cut stalk once done blooming to prevent the seeds from spreading, or allow seeds to drop for lots of hollyhocks the followi

The client at this house had an area between the road and an arching driveway that was in need of T.L.C. There were also culverts and a dirt channel that was running along the road that added to the eyesore. Our client wanted something that would add curb appeal to his house, while being low maintenance. Phil decided on this simple, yet beautiful design to fulfill the clients needs - we started off by slightly sloping the area to give it a smoother appearance. Several low gro

Q: My agastache is a weird greenish-yellow color. It wasn’t like that last year. What is going on? A: What you are dealing with in the picture is more than likely an iron deficiency. Iron is an essential element for plant growth and helps give plants their healthy green color. Adding some iron to the soil should help correct the nutrient deficiency and the leaf color should go back to normal within a couple of weeks. Have a question that you need answered? Send them our way!

Northwind Switch Grass Panicum virgatum Zone 4-9 Petite, airy seed heads rise above the blue green grass blades on this great looking grass. Expect dramatic golden foliage in the fall that can last through the winter, even under light amounts of snow. A moderate grower that can reach 6' tall and 3' wide. Plant in full to partial sun and water regularly. Prefers moist soils but adaptable to most soil types. Cut back in early spring before new growth emerges for best growth.

This transformation Tuesday was a big one. Our client already had a functioning, landscaped yard, however, the way the yard was designed made the space appear smaller and on top of it all, the cement pathways and stairs were also chipping. Our goals were to redo the yard into something that would make the yard feel a lot bigger as well as not letting the plants overtake the space. We started by jack hammering the cement pathways out and removing all the debris. The next step

This week's question is super appropriate as Santa Fe had a bumper season of apricots! Q: Why are my apricots still small and green when my neighbors are already ripe? A: There are several factors that can lead to slow fruit production of an apricot tree, such as: Is the tree getting enough sun? How often is the tree being watered for and how long? Is the tree being fertilized with high phosphorus fertilizer during fruit production? If all of these are being done then it is p

Lena Scotch Broom Cytisus x 'Lena' Zone 6-9 Beautiful yellow and red pea like blooms cover the slim, green stems of the stunning bloomer. Covered in blooms from spring to early summer, this perennial will continue to stun year after year. Plant in full sun and well drained soils for best results. Deer resistant, waterwise and easy to care for. A moderate grower that can reach 4' tall and wide. Prune after finished blooming for a neater looking shrub.

Our client had a couple requests for their yard prior to designing it. For starters, they wanted a yard that was easy to maintain and a large tree needed to be planted to provide some shade for the yard. With this in mind, we began designing the yard. The tree that was chosen is a hardy variety of the Oklahoma Red Bud, which is prized for its bloom in the spring. We began by clearing out the weeds and leveling out the dirt. We re-did the moss rock flowerbed with cut-to-fit mo

Q: My hollyhock leaves are turning yellow from the bottom and falling off, what is wrong with it? A: If you notice your hollyhocks bottom leaves turning yellow and then falling off it is more than likely a nutrient deficiency. The plant is pulling nitrogen from the bottom leaves in order to have enough nitrogen to help the new plant growth on top. Add some nitrogen rich fertilizer to the hollyhock and it should help correct this problem. The bottom leaves may not change back