Fire Pits in the Landscape

Posted on May 14, 2012 by Cedar Run Landscapes

Including the element of fire to your outdoor landscape can extend the enjoyment you will get out of your back yard. They provide, warmth, light, a cooking source, and ambiance, making them a natural gathering spot for socializing, entertaining, and relaxing. A fire pit can also serve as an important focal point in your landscape design.

Built in sitting walls provide a great space for people to sit and enjoy the fire, the wide ledge surrounding the fire pit also allows for a place to put up for feet or set down a drink.

Weather it be a built-in or portable, the options are limitless when choosing a fire pit. There are many options when it comes to size, shape, and style of your fire pit. Even a small space can accommodate a fire-friendly container.

A portable fire pit can be much less expensive than a built in and allows you to change where you would like to enjoy the flames.

For those DIY homeowners out there here are a few tips on creating a perfect place for a fire pit:

Location:

• When choosing a space for your fire pit make sure that the flames and sparks will not reach any structure, plant material, or any other combustible material.

• Fire pits are natural gathering places, so try locating yours near other social areas such as an outdoor kitchen, patio, or pool.

• Look into your local code ordinances as they will often times dictate where you may locate a fire pit, as well as what type of fuel you can burn.

Sizing

• Use marking paint, chalk, or a hose to mark the position and size of the pit in your yard, and then move the chairs into place to see how it feels.

• Providing at least 7 feet of space around the edge of the fire pit will ensure plenty of room for furniture and traffic.

• If you’re installing an above ground fire pit, height is an important consideration. Raising the pit to 12-14 inches off the ground will make the fire just below most standard patio furniture. If you want to be able to sit right next to the fire, a height of 18-20 inches would be most comfortable.

Create a focal point within your patio area for people to together around

Pond Plants Are In Stock

Posted on April 24, 2012 by Cedar Run Landscapes

Is your pond up and running but, aesthetically, it’s missing something? Adding pond plants can provide additional interest in your landscape while helping to create a balanced ecosystem. Plant life filters water, removes excess nutrients, adds oxygen, and creates shade. These benefits along with the aesthetic qualities of pond plants provide a vital role in the development of a healthy pond system.

The four main types of plant life you can add to your pond system are oxygenating, floating, deep water, and marginal water plants. Each type has a specific function as well as grows in a specific area of the pond. Oxygenating plants are submerged in a pond and help introduce oxygen into the water. These types of plants also clean the water by feeding on decaying organic matter. Floating plants help cover the water surface, providing much needed shade to the water below. Deep water plants, most commonly lilies, give the impression of a floating plant but are rooted deep below the pond surface. These types of plants also provide shade. Shading the water prevents ponds from over heating while also inhibiting algae growth. Marginal Water plants provide great water filtration and create interest along the edges of the pond.

Please stop by Cedar Run Landscapes if you would like to check out our selection of pond plants. We’ve had several requests to provide information about our pond plant selection online. Below are links to our pond plant inventory. We are a certified retailer of Van Bloem Gardens and have added a link to their online library, where you can search for pond plants by common or scientific name. While your visiting you will also find a thumbnail image of the plant species with basic information about that plant.

Van Bloem Gardens Complete Water Plant Library

Cedar Run Landscapes In-Stock Pond Plants

Sprucing Up the Garden for the New Season

Posted on March 24, 2012 by Cedar Run Landscapes

March is coming to an end and signs of spring area all around us. It’s time to get our hands dirty and get out into the garden. Removing damaged plant material caused by winter weather and cleaning up debris piling up in the garden are import to freshening up our landscapes and minimizing disease and insect infestations.

Removing debris that have collected over the winter is one of the first steps to integrated pest management. Eliminating debris helps reduce decaying organic matter that may harbor disease as well as removing overwintering pests. Some of the diseases you will be preventing are leaf-spotting, rust, powdery mildew, bud and flower blight, and canker fungi.

Once all that debris has been removed, trees and shrubs have been pruned and your perennials cut back, its important to add a mulch layer to your garden beds. Adding a 2-3” layer of mulch will not only look good but it also prevents weeds and retains moisture.

For more information, please click on the links below.

Pruning Shrubs

Tree Damage

Spring Clean-up

Mulching Trees and Shrubs

Get Your Pond Up and Running

Posted on March 20, 2012 by Cedar Run Landscapes

The days are getting longer and we are beginning to see activity in our ponds. But before our good Aerobic bacteria start to establish, a clean out of the pond is needed. Having a layer of gunk at the bottom of your pond or water that is the color of dark tea are fairly good indicators that it is time to do a full clean-out. If however, you just have a small amount of debris and the water quality looks clear, simply removing debris will suffice. Along with cleaning out any debris from the bottom of the pond, make sure to clean out all mats and filter materials, clean out the filtration boxes and replace at least 10% of the water. If you’re using public water make sure you use a water conditioner.

Pond clean-outs should be done before plant life begins to fully emerge and the good pond bacteria hasn’t started colonizing, usually before the water temperature reaches 55°F. A full clean out replaces nutrient rich water with fresh clean water, a process similar to the way spring rains and snow melt naturally flush out our natural ponds and lakes. Click here to learn more about how to do a pond clean out.

Cedar Run Landscapes provides full pond services and is currently doing our annual spring clean outs. Even if you think your pond just needs some tidying up we would be glad to assist you. To be added to our list of pond maintenance customers, contact us at info@cedarrunlandscapes.com.

Philadelphia International Flower Show

Posted on February 29, 2012 by Cedar Run Landscapes

Cedar Run Landscapes traveled down to the Pennsylvania Convention Center this week to assist Flowers by David in their preparations for next weeks Philadelphia Flower Show. Flowers by David, located in Langhorne PA, has been a major exhibitor at the show since 1997. This year’s display, titled KāKua (Tattoo), was inspired by Hawaiian tribal tattoos and is dominated by a striking modernistic water feature.

Our expertise in water features lead Flowers by David to call on us to help assist with this display. If you find the time we recommend that you head on down to the Philadelphia International Flower Show next week to check out this display as well as many others. It’s a great place to get inspiration and design ideas to implement in your own landscape.

Our Designers Experience at Lancasters, MAHTS

Posted on February 6, 2012 by crlandscapes

As a designer, I like to attend any course at MAHTS that discusses design, site planning, or sustainability practices in the landscape. One course that really interested me was ‘Sustainable Design and Construction’. The speaker touched on LEED standards and explained various sustainable landscape projects, but the one thing that sparked my interest during the presentation was a new program that has been developed called ‘Sustainable Sites Initiative.’

Sustainable Sites Initiative (SITES) is a program that promotes sustainable land development and management practices. SITES first began to materialize in 2005 when the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) and the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center joined forces and held a summit in Austin, Texas. Now 7 years later the initiative had just certified three projects in their pilot program.

The difference between this program and something like LEED (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) is that SITES focuses completely on the landscape. It may be a vacant lot, shopping mall, park, or single family home. No matter the project, SITES provides comprehensive guidelines to those who wish to create a sustainable landscape.

This initiative is very exiting to those of us in the industry. We now have an organization that will help guide us in creating long lasting eco-sensitive landscapes. Cedar Run Landscapes will be keeping an eye on the progress of the pilot program as it winds down this year and the guidelines are refined. Please check back with us for updates.

Our Project Managers experience at MAHTS in Lancaster

Posted on January 22, 2012 by crlandscapes

Our off season tends to be populated with educational events and conferences. These events help to keep us informed of industry trends, new products, and updated construction methods. Recently several members of Cedar Run Landscapes attended the Middle Atlantic Hardscaping Trade Show in Lancaster. Some of the presentations I attended included hardscaping in the pool environment, how to guarantee compaction and eliminate structural failures in the residential market, and step design and integration. I also gave 2 presentations at this year’s show, focusing on the integration of water features with hardscaping, and rainwater harvesting. It was rewarding to offer some of my own knowledge after having received so much valuable information from this show over the years.

E.P. Henry Display at MAHTS in Lancaster PA

There were also some interesting product displays at the show, including a raised patio and rainwater collection system combination. It’s exciting to see the technological progression and construction method innovation currently evident in our industry. With everyone from the manufacturers to installers focused on green construction and sustainable practices we are sure to see some great advances in this area in the near future.

Here at Cedar Run Landscapes we are always focused on innovative construction and new sustainable practices within the industry. We have installed several rainwater harvesting systems similar to the one that was on display at the show. If you would like to learn more about one of these project Click here.

The Rain Guy’s Summer Travels

Image

This summer ‘The Rain Guy’ took a trip to check out some interesting projects that were happening in New York and Chicago. He first stopped by New York City’s High Line which opened up its second section between West 20^th and West 30^th Streets on June 8, 2011.

View of High Line

The High Line is a linear park built on the former elevated freight railroad along the lower west side of Manhattan. The park takes the concept of a green roof to a whole new level. The multiple layered ‘living roof’ includes pourous drainage, gravel, filter fabric, subsoil and topsoil, allowing everything from small perennials to full grown tree’s to grown high above the streetscape. Parts of the park are also designed to re-circulate water and there are future plans to harvest rainwater from the roofs of nearby buildings. The High Line Project is a great example of how sustainable landscape ideas can be successfully used to create unique and beautiful spaces.

Bird houses on the High Line

After visiting New York, The Rain Guy was then off to Chicago to participate in Aquascape Inc.’s sustainable outdoor water feature build at Shedd Aquarium. The pond, stream and wetland installation was devised to serve as a hands-on training event for Certified Aquascape Contractors to learn the latest innovations and applications of sustainable landscape solutions. The design philosophy of this project was to incorporate the native flora and fauna while emulating a native Illinois stream.

Contractors working together at Shedd Aquarium

The Rain Guy worked with contractors from across the continent to install a 30’ x15’ pond, which included a 1,500 gallon reservoir, allowing the feature to operate for extended periods without rainfall. Along with a 50-foot long stream and waterfall system, the project included an oversized wetland to provide water filtration while also creating a unique aquatic habitat. The water feature will serve as one of the aquarium’s exhibits. It will also help educate visitors about the importance of native habitats and how we can make a positive impact on our environment.

Completed Water Feature before Landscaping

To learn more about these places check out the links below:

High Line

http://www.thehighline.org/

http://www.asla.org/sustainablelandscapes/highline.html

http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2011/04/ny-high-line/cook-photography

Shedd Aquarium

http://www.aquascapeinc.com/index.php?page=news&n_id=63

http://www.sheddaquarium.org/

http://www.houzz.com/photos/31584/Shedd-Aquarium-Water-Feature-landscape-chicago

Montgomery Township’s Autumn Festival

Posted on September 28, 2011 by crlandscapes

Please Join Us This Saturday at the Montgomery Township Autumn Festival

This day long event will take place from 10 til 4 at William F. Maule Park at Windlestrae off of Kenas Road in North Wales.

Along with our display booth, our staff will be available just around the corner at our office and display gardens. Please stop by before or after you attend this great family event to check out our water features.

Rain Date, Sunday October 2 12:00-4:00 PM

Lawn Care and Renovation

Posted on August 26, 2011 by crlandscapes

The lawn is often thought of as an extension of our home. It’s a place were families gather to relax and have fun. But keeping a green lush lawn means understanding the requirements of our lawn and providing the appropriate conditions they need to thrive. Such things as drought, excessive shade, poor drainage, soil compaction, inadequate fertility, acid soils, infestations, disease, thatch build-up, improper mowing, poorly adapted grass species, and others may contribute to poor lawn performance.

Cool Season Grasses:

Most lawns in the Philadelphia region consist of cool season grasses, like perennial rye, Kentucky bluegrass and the fescues. These grass species thrive during the cooler seasons of fall and spring and can handle the freezing conditions and snow cover of winter. It’s during the hot and dry summers that these grasses struggle, often going dormant and turning brown.

Soil Conditions:

One of the first important steps to a successful lawn is to assess your soil conditions. Check the degree of compaction and amount of topsoil present. Also it is essential to get a soil test done. You can easily purchase a test kit from a university or private test lab. A soil test report will provide you with information about pH and lime levels and the amount of phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, calcium and organic matter in the soil. Along with the test results, test sites will often provide recommendations for liming, soil amendments and fertilizing. Taking these steps will help you determine the best course to take in improving your lawn.

Helpful tips to improve your lawn:

Mow Right

Cut lawn at 3” or higher, not cutting more than ⅓ of the leaf tissue
Mow frequently during active growth
Leave clippings on your lawn, clippings containing important nutrients that will return to the soil, significantly reducing the need for fertilizer applications.
Make sure mowing blades are sharp

Feed Right

Choose a complete fertilizer (nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium) made for lawns
Read and follow all directions when applying
Spring and early fall are the best times to feed
Sweep products off hard surfaces and back into the lawn

Water Right

Its okay for lawns to go dormant during the summer
If you choose to water during the summer do it early in the morning
Water deeply and infrequently, about 1” a week when there is inadequate rain fall.
Frequent light watering encourages shallow rooting and germination of weed seeds

Lawn Renovation

If you have been struggling to get a successfully established lawn it might be time to do a full lawn overhall. Lawn renovations restore failing lawn and with the arrival of cooler temperatures, September signals the perfect time to renovate thin, tired, weak, and wore out lawns.

Basic Steps for Renovating a Lawn

Step	Options	Comments
Weed Control	Physically Pull	For large or spreading weeds; won’t kill all weeds.
	Broadleaf Herbicide	If weeds are primarily non-grasses.
	Nonselective Herbicide	Kills most green vegetation; allow 5-14 days to effectively kill the plants.
Thatch Removal	Vigorous Hand Raking	Not practical for extreme thatch problem or large areas.
	Vertical Mower	Can be rented or hired; can also be used to prepare seedbed.
	Sod Cutter	Recommended for extreme thatch problem; can be rented or hired.
Soil Preparation	Vigorous Hand Raking	For small sites with little vegetation remaining.
	Aeration	3-5 passes with commercial aerifier; especially recommended if soil is compacted.
	Vertical Mowing	Tines should nick surface to a depth of ⅛-½ inch.
Fertilize	Nitrogen (N) Phosphorus (P) Potassium (K)	½ pound of N per 1000 square feet; P and K as determined by a soil test.
Seeding	Hand	For small sites mix 1 part seed with 4 parts fine sawdust or a natural organic fertilizer such as Milorganite.
	Rotary Spreader	Preferred method if mixed with sawdust or Milorganite.
	Drop Spreader	Seed in 2 directions or overlap ½ way.
	Slit Seeder	Equipment can be rented but requires skill; generally best done by professionals
Irrigate		Water lightly to provide good seed-soil contact; then, water lightly twice daily to rewet soil surface. Don’t allow to become soggy.
Mow		At 3½ inches, mow to 2½ inches with sharp mower; continue regular mowing as needed.

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