Higher Ground Landscapes Has a New Gallery!

Check out our new Gallery page with some of our most recent landscape projects.

Also, our website has been updated with new images and a new Testimonials page.

http://www.highergroundlandscapes.com

Tips for Fall Landscaping Care

Lawn Care - Fall is a good time to core aerate your lawn. Core aeration reduces problems created by thatch build-up. Apply a winterizer fertilizer to Kentucky bluegrass, ryegrass, and tall fescue lawns between early October and early November. This application should be made while the grass is still green and prior to the ground freezing.Use one pound of nitrogen per 1000 square feet of lawn. Do not fertilize Buffalograss, Blue Grama, or Bermuda grass at this time of the year. During fall and winter your lawn and plants will still need water after your sprinkler system has been shut off and winterized for the season. Periodically apply water early in the morning when temperatures are above freezing and the ground isn’t frozen. Remember to disconnect your watering hose and have your sprinkler system blown out to prevent freeze damage. Contact Higher Ground Landscapes to handle all of your fall lawn care needs.

Tree Care - Protect the trunks of young, thin-barked trees from winter sunscald by wrapping the trunks with tree wrap in late October. Tree wrap is a crepe-type paper available at garden centers and home-improvement stores. Start at the bottom of the trunk, overlapping the tree wrap as you wind your way up the trunk. Secure the tree wrap at the top and bottom with stretch tape.

Fall Planting - October is a good month to plant spring-blooming bulbs: tulip, daffodil, hyacinth, scilla, allium and crocus. Be sure to amend heavy clay soil with organic matter (compost) and apply a phosphorus fertilizer to the soil prior to planting the bulbs. Wildflower seeds may be sown in fall. Cold winter weather and moisture from snow will promote germination in spring. When buying wildflower mixes, check the label to make sure that the mix does not contain Bouncingbet, Purple Loosestrife, Oxeye Daisy and other plants considered noxious weeds in Colorado. Contact Higher Ground Landscapes to handle all of your fall landscaping needs.

New Testimonial from Design Workshop

We wanted to send this letter to first of all thank you, and secondly, to offer a recommendation/reference for your future projects. We were impressed with every aspect of your landscape construction business including:

Flexibility- We provided our own design, probably not the typical design you have seen in any of your other projects. You reminded us when final decisions needed to be made along the way and remained flexible as we fine-tuned the design during the different phases of construction.

Very Responsive- You both promptly returned phone calls and met us at the house when you said you were going to be there. Seems like such a simple thing but we haven't experienced that high level of responsiveness before.

Attention to Detail- The exactness of the construction was very impressive. The dimensions were perfectly aligned (really important for a design that was based on 90 angles). You provided supervision to your crew to ensure that construction was perfectly implemented from start to finish.

Experience- Your experience was obvious in many aspects. You clearly love what you do and you bring a passion to it. You treat your crew well and treat them with respect. You, as owners, are hands-on, physically working hard to ensure a good outcome.

well connected- You were able to bring other subcontractors such as an electrician, landscape materials, wall construction and metal fabrication into the job in a way that was seamless to us.

Beyond our expectations was hand watering the garden when irrigation is turned off. We greatly appreciate the great job that you did for us. We LOVE our yard and garden. We wish only the best for you in your future projects.

Becky & Jeff Zimmerman, President & Landscape Architect
Design Workshop, Inc. - Denver, CO

Higher Ground Landscapes Has a New Address

Higher Ground Landscapes has a new mailing address- 4000 Umatilla St. Denver, CO 80211. Please send all correspondence to this new address, thank you.

Lawn and Garden Tips for June

Save Water - With the large amount of rainfall we have received in Denver throughout the month of May and now June, remember to adjust your automatic watering systems and not water within 24 hours when at least .25" of rain has fallen. Over-watering is unnecessary and can harm some plants, be sure to adjust the length of watering cycles in response to weather changes and plant needs. Higher Ground Landscapes will install automatic sprinklers and drip systems for your lawn and garden, please contact us.

Deadhead - Besides inspecting plants for pests and disease, now is the time to deadhead those flowers (cut off dead blossoms). "Spring-blooming shrubs such as lilacs should be pruned right after they flower. If you wait too long, you will end up cutting off many of next year’s flowers. The perennial Phlox subulata, which brightens many gardens in spring with white, pink and lavender flowers, should be cut back after flowering. Shear off the top half of plants. Pinch off the tips of chrysanthemums during June and early July. This keeps plants compact and increases the size of flowers. Disbudding (removing all but one or two buds in a cluster) creates the largest blooms. Fall-blooming asters benefit from being pinched or sheared periodically in early summer. Remove the top 1/3 of the plant. Many annuals should also be pinched back to encourage compact, bushy growth." - From Colorado Gardening.com

Fertilize The Grass - "Kentucky Bluegrass lawns should be fertilized with one pound of nitrogen per 1000 square feet of lawn between May and mid-June. Tall fescue lawns require ½ pound to one pound of nitrogen per 1000 square feet between May and mid-June. (Kentucky Bluegrass and tall fescue lawns do not require fertilization between mid-June and early August.) Buffalo grass, Blue Grama, and Bermuda grass should be fertilized with ½ pound to one pound of nitrogen per 1000 square feet of lawn between May and mid-June. Apply the same amount of nitrogen between July and early August." - From Colorado Gardening.com. Higher Ground Landscapes will help you maintain your lawn and maximize it's performance, please contact us to find out more.

Welcome to the Higher Ground Landscapes Blog

Welcome to the Higher Ground Landscapes Blog, we will be posting the latest news and seasonal tips for homeowners looking for advice on landscaping in Denver, Colorado. Higher Ground Landscapes is a professional, and full service landscape company that offers high quality craftsmanship in all aspects of landscape design, installation, and maintenance. Please visit our newly updated site www.highergroundlandscapes.com

Denver's Last Spring Frost Date

Today is the last average spring frost date. Now is the time to start planting those frost delicate annuals. If you missed arbor day last week, it's not too late to plant that tree before the heat of summer sets in.

Denver Water Announces 2009 Watering Rules & Tips

Effective from May 1st to October 1st, Watering two days a week should be sufficient during most of the summer. If needed, water a third day during extreme heat or dry periods. Water trees and shrubs as needed, but not between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. Shrubs and perennials need half as much water as lawns. There are no assigned watering days, but never water more than three days a week.

Story via Denver Water