Need Shade?

Trees make a wonderful addition to any landscape. They offer height and form that is need to create a finished landscape. When choosing a tree there are many things to look for depending on the end result that you are looking for. For most of us we dont consider this when shopping for a tree. What we really want is shade and lots of it.

When the heat of summer is on, we want big trees now. That can be hard if you are not fortunate to have a wooded lot. There are ways to get a larger tree now and give some shade during the summer heat. Planting a large ball and burlap tree will give you a large tree and is not as hard as you might think. Many nursery's have pre-dug ball and burlap trees in many sizes and varieties. Most trees can be found from 1 1/2" to 4" trunk size. The larger the truck, the taller and older the tree.

Ball and burlap trees come with the root ball wrapped in burlap and a steal cage to protect the tree until planting. You do not need to remove this, just open the burlap on the surface after it is in the hole. Make sure the hole is large enough to fit the ball and extra room around it to add some enriched soil. Fill in the hole with some enriched soil mixed with what some of the dirt you dug from the hole but do not add soil above the root ball. Add a stake to protect it form wind and keep it straight, give it some water and you're done.

The bigger trees can be hard to manage and you may need some help getting them home and in the hole. The exta work and cost is worth it with the size of tree that you will be getting. It can take years for a small 10 gallon tree to grow to a the size you can get with a ball and burlap. With the ball and burlap you can get a tree that is 8 feet tall or more creating instant shade. After all isnt that we we all want?

Cheap Landscaping

I think I am asked on a daily basis how can I get great landscaping cheap. The answere is always the same, you can't. If you love the pictures in magazines and the model homes you tour you can have the same thing in your yard but it will not come cheap. Quality landscaping always has a big price tag because of the cost of the materials not the labor. There are ways that you can get it done cheaper but it will still cost.

The first and most important tip is do NOT sacrafice what you want. It is better to wait to get your dream landscaping then by choosing a different design, inferior quality or cheaper plants. If you settle now you will end up replacing what you did today at some point and you will have spent double the money. You know what you like and you like it for a reason so do not choose something based on the price tag.

The secound tip is to choose who does your work carefully. Some landscapers will charge you a lot for their labor and some are more reasonable. Labor is labor when it comes to most aspects of landscaping. This is not true of some of the specialty items like ponds or brick and stone work. know your company and compare their labor charges to others in the business. This however does not mean always go with the cheapest. Choose a well priced quality landscaper who will be in business tomorrow and stand behind their work. The guy down the street in the old truck that barely runs might not be your best choice.

Thridly, have an idea of what you are trying to acheive before you get started. If you want to do the work yourself consider hiring a designer to give you a base plan. It will save you a lot of money if you have a good solid plan and stick to it as much as possible. Be careful with your designer, they come in all price ranges. Know what you are getting before you agree to use them. A good landscape designer will provide you with a drawning and a plant list with plant names, colors, bloom time, size and shape. Once you have your plan it is ok to deviate a bit but be careful that you are not redoing work you have already done.

The final tip is if the budget is to tight, break the project into pieces and do one piece at a time. Do not omit a step to save money and get more done. For instance, don't skip the landscape fabric and put mulch down on the bare ground unless you are prepared to weed. It is not the landscapers fault that you have weeds in your mulch if you were too cheap to put it down.

With some forthought you will be able to save some money and still have a quaility landscape that you love without breaking the bank. Always remember you get what you pay for. For more money saving ideas check out our website cheapscapesnc.com.