Greetings from the Hemlock team!
Welcome to Spring!
Or should we say summer? The early warm weather has pushed flowers and leaves beyond where we normally see them at this point in the season. This doesn’t pose any harm as long as we don’t have a hard freeze. So, enjoy the flowers while they last. If your landscape is missing spring flowering plants, give us a call and we can design some color into your landscape.
We are currently busy working on getting spring clean-ups done so that you can enjoy your yard this spring. For those of you who have our turf program, you may notice how thick and green your lawn is this spring. This is due to the fall fertilizer that we applied. It is because of this that your lawn does not need an early spring fertilizer application.
Finally I would like to say thank you to all of our wonderful clients who have renewed with us this year, and thank you to all of our new clients who are allowing us to care for your yards. If there is anything that we can further assist with, please give us a call!
~ From: Dennis' desk
edible landscapes
Edible Landscapes allow you to not only have an aesthetically attractive landscape but also produce fruits and vegetables for home use. Edible plants can be incorporated into any style of landscape.
Ideas for integrating edibles into the landscape include:
- planting cherry tomatoes in a window box or hanging basket
- growing nasturtiums or violas and using them in salads or as garnishes
- tuck lettuce, radishes and peppers into flower beds
- train raspberries up a fence
- install a dwarf fruit tree instead of an ornamental tree or shrub
- place a few pots of herbs on your deck or patio
Edible plants do require a little extra watering, pruning, fertilizing, and pest management. It may add a few hours to your gardening chores each week but the yield could be enormous. If you are uncertain about incorporating edibles into your landscape start out small with a few pots of herbs on the patio. You will be rewarded with pleasing fragrances and flavors in your prepared dishes.
Naturally Organic Fertilizers
When it comes to fertilizing your shrubs, perennials and annuals, we want to make sure that they are looking their best. For a number of years now we have been using the “tone” line of fertilizers manufactured by Espoma. For the past 80 years, Espoma Tones have defined the naturally beautiful garden. From their famous Holly-tone® to their newest product, Flower-tone®, each is a complex blend of long lasting natural ingredients, enhanced with their Bio-tone® microbes.
Each Tone has been carefully developed in conjunction with nursery and horticultural professionals to produce outstanding flowers, shrubs and vegetables. No fillers, sludge or inert ingredients are ever used.
- Long lasting natural organics break down slowly for steady, continuous feeding.
- Contains Bio-tone® microbes.
- Adds organic matter to soil.
- Safe. Low in salts so it won't burn.
- Safe for people, pets, & the environment
We are now adding regularly scheduled fertilizing to all of our garden visits. We hope that by doing this your garden will look better than ever with blooms and lush foliage all season long. By using these organic fertilizers we are further upholding our commitment to being “green”.
Check out Espoma's website for more information on the fertilizers we will be using as well as their entire product line.
Plant Health Care 101: Black Vine Weevil
Adult black vine weevils will feed on over 100 different kinds of plants including trees, shrubs, vines and flowers. The preferred hosts seem to be Taxus (yews), hemlock and various rhododendrons. Taxus capitata seems to be particularly susceptible to attack.
Adults that feed along leaf margins produce typical crescent shaped notches while the legless larvae prefer to feed on young tender roots of Taxus, Rhododendrons and Hemlock. Female weevils emerge from soil pupation chambers late May to early July. These weevils must feed on plant material for 21 to 45 days before they are ready to lay eggs. The eggs hatch in two to three weeks and the small C-shaped, legless larvae feed on plant rootlets. If left untreated, the weevils and their larvae can cause great devestation to the host plant eventually causing its death.
How can these pests be kept at bay? The method of control that we use at Hemlock Landscapes involves three spray applications to susceptible shrubs. It is important to spray the shrubs during a three month period when the adult weevils are most active before they can lay their eggs. To protect your shrubs from Black Vine Weevil and other pests call us today to schedule a Plant Health Care program!
Words of Wisdom
In the spring, at the end of the day, you should smell like dirt.
~Margaret Atwood
Plant of the season
Botanical and Common Name:
Azalea (Both its botanical and common name)
Azaleas are the quintessential plant when it comes to spring time. There are three main varieties in our region: evergreen, deciduous and swamp Azaleas. Their flowers come in multiple colors from white to orange to lavender. Azaleas make the perfect backdrop to any spring garden and lend themselves quite nicely to woodland gardens. Nowhere is the Azalea on show better than at The Masters golf tournament every year in Augusta. The flowers offer the perfect setting for the famed “Amen Corner”. If you want to brighten up your garden in the springtime, then Azaleas are the perfect match.
A Garden Recipe to Share
Grilled Green Beans with Shallots and Sesame Seeds
Ingredients:
- 1 pound fresh green beans
- 2 large shallots, coarsely chopped or 1/4 cup chopped onion
- 2 Tbsp. water
- 1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
- 1 tsp. soy or teriyaki sauce
- 2 Tbsp. shredded or coarsely snipped fresh basil
- 1 Tbsp. shredded or coarsely snipped fresh mint
- 1 Tbsp. sesame seeds, toasted
- 2 Tbsp. pine nuts or slivered almonds, toasted
Directions:
- In a large bowl, toss together beans, shallots, water, oil, and soy sauce; set aside.
- Fold a 36x18-inch piece of heavy foil in half to make an 18-inch square. Place bean mixture in center of foil. Bring together 2 opposite edges of foil; seal with a double fold. Fold remaining edges together to enclose the beans, leaving space for steam to build.
- For a charcoal grill: Place bean packet on the rack of an uncovered grill directly over medium coals. Grill for 20 minutes, turning once. Remove packet from the grill and cool slightly. Carefully open packet (some steam will escape). Return open foil packet to the grill rack. Continue grilling 5 minutes more or until beans are just browned and crisp-tender, stirring occasionally. (For a gas grill, preheat grill. Reduce heat to medium. Place packet on grill rack. Cover and grill beans as above.)
- To serve, transfer beans to a large serving bowl. Add basil, mint and sesame seeds. Toss gently to combine. Season to taste with sea salt. Makes 6 side-dish servings.
Oven "Grilled" Green Beans: Prepare as above, except place bean mixture in a shallow baking pan. Bake in a 450 degree F oven for 20 minutes, stirring once, or until beans are just browned and crisp-tender.
Summer will be upon us before we know it! If you haven't yet scheduled your summer prune, summer garden tune up, or annual color plantings, now is the time to do so!
Do you want to have a comfortable and fun place to make a campfire and some S'mores? We can build the perfect fire pit and patio to enjoy the cool summer evenings.
Contact us today to schedule your next Hemlock experience!
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Experienced in every facet of the landscape industry, Hemlock Landscapes services clients throughout northeast Ohio reliably, personally and professionally.
Welcome to the Thursday, April 22 edition of the Hemlock Landscapes spring newsletter. In this issue:
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Hemlock Landscapes
7209 Chagrin Road
Chagrin Falls, OH 44023
(440) 247-3631
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