Here’s why.  When it comes to the flowers and greenery in your landscape, fish emulsion is a great option to use as a fertilizer.  In fact, fish emulsion is one of the best organic fertilization methods, as it is packed with nitrogen and several micronutrients which help to control pests .

Wait a second—fish is one of the most nutritious foods you can eat, fish oil is one of the most effective supplements you can take, and now fish emulsion is one of the best fertilizers you can use?  Anyone seeing a trend here?  If I had to bet on the world’s next dominant species—you know where my vote’s going.
Betting aside, if you’re thinking of enlisting the almighty healing powers of our aquatic friends to quickly green up your lawn, here are some tips on how to do so, courtesy of Richard Fadal and the team of professional Austin landscapers here at TexaScapes:

-          Follow the directions on the packaging to dilute the emulsion with the right amount of water.

-          Use a sprayer and remember to spray under the leaves of your plants and let the solution drip into the soil.

-          It is best to spray in the morning before the temperature reaches 80 degrees.

-          For the over achievers out there, you can also mix fish emulsion with water in a buck and use it as a drench by pouring it over the root system of your plantings.

You should start seeing results very quickly (yes, instant gratification is the thing these days), as your plants will absorb this fertilizer in a very timely matter.

And now back to the odor issue—if these great results aren’t enough to drive you to deal with a slight fishy odor for a couple of days, there are several odorless varieties available on the market…or you could go with the original and pretend you live in coastal Maine for a few days.  I think I’ll go with that option.

If you are in charge of a business, you know that commercial landscaping is quite a necessity.  And as much as doing the initial work to get your landscape looking beautiful is important, maintaining it is just as important.  Think about it, what if you just showered and dressed up to perfection one time, and then stayed in that outfit and didn’t shower for weeks?  Ok, don’t think about it too long—this one gets ugly ladies and gents.

But horrible imagery aside, a great solution to regular commercial landscape maintenance is an irrigation system.  An irrigation system can help you save water as you preserve a beautiful commercial landscape, but to do so, it must be properly maintained (kind of like the actual landscape and your personal appearance).

This is the perfect time to have your landscape maintenance company inspect all components of your watering system. It will save you water and money and ensure a healthy landscape.

But if you feel like a ditzy girl taking her car to the repair shop when you talk to your irrigation system maintenance men and women, here are some things to look out for to avoid that feeling.

Be sure they:

-       Check the backflow preventer, and all valves for standing water, soggy ground, or eroded soil.

-       Visually inspect the turfgrass and landscape looking for overly dry or wet areas that may indicate an irrigation system issue.

-       Double-check the system controller to ensure the programs are correct and that timers are functioning properly.

-       Make sure sprinkler heads are flush with the soil surface and straight, not tilted or damaged. The heads should be adjusted if necessary so they don’t spray walls, driveways, or sidewalks.

-       Replace  broken spray heads and worn parts; trim plants and remove other obstructions that block sprinkler spray.

Your contractor should perform routine and preventative maintenance on your irrigation system throughout the year to ensure its efficiency, so make sure to keep that in check.

Follow these few simple steps, and you’ll be on your way to a beautiful and inviting commercial landscape in no time!

Do you have or need help with your commercial landscape?  Let us know what we can help you with either through a comment or the contact information on our website.  We always love to hear from you!

Remember when we talked about how to get rid of bare spots in your lawn?  Well for those of you who haven’t quite gotten around to it yet (we know, you’re busy working out in light of the pending swim suit season, right?), here are a couple other options to eliminate those pesky bald spots everyone wants to get rid of.

Planting grass seed is an inexpensive way to fill bare spots in your existing lawn or even establish a new one if you think yours is beyond saving. These easy steps provided by our favorite landscaping experts will get your grass off on the right root, whether it’s Bermuda, St. Augustine, or another suitable variety.

-       Dig up or use a weed puller to remove dandelions, crab grass or other weeds.

-       Break up the soil with a tiller or aerator and apply a good top dressing of organic fertilizer.  I recommend a mix containing equal parts of sand, top soil, and thoroughly composted organic matter.

-       Level the areas where excess water might collect.

-       Following the seed package directions, spread grass seed by hand or use a mechanical seeder for large areas.

-       Lightly drag the area to cover the seed with no more than one-quarter inch of soil.

The seed must stay moist to germinate and establish.

Don’t forget to water lightly and frequently until your new grass is two inches high; once established, water deeper and as needed—how would you feel out in the Texas sun with no water?  Yeah, that’s what we thought.

Have you recently tried to get rid of bald spots in your lawn?  What other gardening and/or landscaping topics would you like us to address?  We’d love to hear from you!

So back to your house—have a little fun with it!  Add a few hypothetical “accessories.”  Ok, we’re no fashionistas over here, but we do know a thing or two about greenery, and we have Richard Fadal here to give you his latest tips on how to fancy up that place of yours in no time.

For a fun way to dress up your porch or deck, plant a hanging basket bursting with your favorite flowers, ferns, vines or herbs. It will ring in the warm weather and you’ll enjoy its warm vibes all season long.

Here’s where to start.  Wire mesh baskets lined with cocoa fiber are readily available from your local garden center. Choose one that’s big enough to hold at least half a dozen plants in 4-inch containers.

Select plants based on the look you’d like.  If you have no clue where to start, not to worry; we’ve taken the liberty of creating a foliage fashion guide to help guide you in your quest for a re-vamped look:

For a bright, up-beat look: Go with a flower-filled basket by planting all petunias or all impatiens.

If you prefer a more low-key vibe, providing the area where you will hang the basket is mostly shady, use Boston or foxtail fern.

For you dare-devils who like a dramatic look, combine upright and trailing plants, such as oregano, alyssum, variegated ivy and trailing verbena.

Plant your selections in good-quality potting soil, and fill your basket about one inch from the top for best results.  And don’t forget to give your beautiful plants the nutrition they need.  While it’s questionable that models get even half the calories they need in a day, plants come free of body-issues and are always up for a good meal!  Be sure to use a watering wand with a spray control to water regularly and keep the soil moist to keep those green goddesses looking front-cover ready.

Have a favorite hanging plant of your own, or pictures of a spruced-up porch or deck you’d like to share?  Send them over!

If this is the case for you and your landscape, you’re in luck.  TexaScapes’ Green Gardener, a.k.a. Richard Fadal, is about to give your landscape a metaphorical toupee.  Spring  is the perfect time to replace lost plants with native or naturalized perennials that can better endure the Central Texas weather that is so varied meteorologists are rendered useless.

Here are three hardy, drought-tolerant, perennials our Green Gardener recommends.

-       Lantana. This native comes in several upright and trailing varieties that offer blooms of red, yellow, orange and pink flowers.

-       Coral or red yucca. Once established, this tough evergreen plant tolerates extreme heat and cold. Its coral tubular flowers last May through October.

-       Yellow Bells, also called Esperanza. This shrub prefers well-drained soil and full sun and will be covered in showy, bell-like flowers from spring through fall.

If you’re looking to lower your irrigation bill and reduce your landscape maintenance, this robust trio is for you.  See, who says you have to chose between time and money?

Not ready to commit?  Check out some video footage of these Texas weather-bearers and listen to Richard give you the inside scoop in his Green Gardener segment on WeAreAustin.com.

Have another favorite perennial that can battle through the Texas weather wars and come out alive?  Let us know, we’re always on the lookout!

If this is the case for your landscape, Richard Fadal, who we proudly call our Green Gardener, has put together a couple ways to tell if those plants still have some fight left in ‘em:

-          Break off part of a small branch or stem. If it snaps readily, keep breaking off pieces closer and closer to the main trunk or to the ground. You know the plant’s alive when the stem becomes flexible and difficult to break.

-          Scratch the bark off a stem or limb and look for green growth underneath.

If you found signs of life, congratulations!  Your plant isn’t dead, it’s just a late bloomer.  Think of it as the plant version of those 24-year-olds you know who still live in mom’s basement and haven’t washed their ninja turtle sheets in 11 months.

If that wasn’t the case, you can still give it one last ditch effort—consider this the emergency resuscitation (and don’t bother looking for a DNR bracelet—plants aren’t as emotionally complicated as us humans).  Here’s what you need to do: prune much of the plant down and spray with a seaweed solution. Water the plant thoroughly and deeply. Then just sit back and wait for the H2O to work its magic.  If you don’t see results right away, don’t give up.  Watch the plant for budding until late May before calling the battle a loss.

If you must replace dead trees, shrubs, or perennials, do so before the weather gets too hot and remember to water thoroughly and deeply so you can keep your green friends alive and healthy for years to come.

Check out the video version of this advice on how to tell if your plants are dead at WeAreAustin.com.

Did you have a late bloomer this season?  You’re not alone!  Tell us about it and see what others have to say—isn’t sharing the best form of medicine?

But for as much as we admire this beautiful flower, most people don’t know one of the most interesting things about it.  Turns out, the Lone Star State is actually home to five species of Bluebonnets, and because of an umbrella clause in a constitution amendment circa 1971, each of these species qualify as “The State Flower(s) of Texas.”  So now that you’re enlightened about Texas’ state flower history, check out the info below for a few more specifics about each one of our great state’s official state flowers.  For visuals of these five Texas Bluebonnet varieties, check out TexaScapes’ own Green Gardener, Richard Fadal in his video segment for KEYE TV.

1. Lupinus subcarnosus is the vintage version of the Texas bluebonnet.  Originally named the state flower in 1901, it grows naturally in deep sandy loams from Leon County southwest to LaSalle County and down to the northern part of Hidalgo County in the Valley. It is often referred to as the sandy land bluebonnet.
2. Lupinus texensis is the teacher’s pet of Texas wildflowers.  As the favorite of tourists and artists, it is the flower you’ll spot providing the blue spring carpet of Central Texas. It is widely known as THE Texas bluebonnet and is the easiest of all the species to grow.
3. Lupinus Havardiiis also known as the Big Bend Bluebonnet. It is found on the flats of the Big Bend country in early spring and is similar to your typical stubborn grandpa, as it is difficult to cultivate outside its natural habitat.
4. Lupinus concinnus is an inconspicuous little lupine (a wallflower, if you will), found sparingly in the Trans-Pecos region, blooming in early spring.
5. Lupinus plattensis sneaks down from the north into the Texas Panhandle’s sandy dunes. It is the only true perennial species in the state and is also known as the dune bluebonnet, the plains bluebonnet and the Nebraska Lupine.

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you already know that bluebonnets are now at peak bloom throughout much of Central Texas.  If you’re looking for some great wildflower sighting (or a spot for that state-required family photo session), head over to the roadsides of State Highway 16 between Llano and Fredericksburg to find a majestic river of blue flowers that make quite the attractive backdrop.  Just make sure you don’t wear blue…unless you want the pictures to have a “floating head” effect.

Have you had your own bluebonnet photoshoot (with or without your lovely friends and family posing as if they often sit in large open fields of flowers)?  Share your pictures with us, we’d love to see them—we’ll even let you know which of the five species of Texas Bluebonnets created your backdrop!

To help you identify these destructive plant forms, our gardening expert, Richard Fadal, is here to show you some examples of invasive plants that can be found at a very popular local spot—Lady Bird Johnson Lake.  Along with your typical half marathon trainees, moms with little ones in tow and students in burnt orange Nike shorts, you will find the chinaberry; a very fast-growing tree reaching 50 feet in height. It spreads rapidly by root sprouts and seeds from its dense, soap-like berries.  Another invasive plant you’ll find there is the Chinese tallow; a brittle, woody tree that colonizes by root sprouts and dispersal of its popcorn-looking seeds. The white mulberry grows up to 70 feet tall.  It spreads through prolific production of a messy berry throughout the summer.

While you might not be able to personally do anything about the invasive plants growing around our beloved downtown lake, you can declare war on your own invasive plants.  If you have any of these or other invasive plants on your property, you would be doing a great favor to the plant environment to begin selective removal of these plants (the City of Austin has a complete list if you need further clarification).  If you’re not one to settle for the bare minimum, you can take further action by encouraging friends and neighbors to remove these harmful plants as well.

To help you recognize these plants, take a look at Richard Fadal’s Green Gardener segment about Austin’s invasive plants on KEYE TV’s site, WeAreAustin.com.

Have you recently discovered invasive plants on your property?  Share your comments and pictures with us and our readers—it just might keep someone’s hard work on their landscape from going to waste.

Luckily, all it takes is a little education on the subject and a few simple tasks and you’re on your way to organic gardening.  If you’re thinking “but what if I’m not educated on the subject?!” you’ve come to the right place!  TexaScapes’ own Green Gardener, Richard Fadal, has a few tips on how you can best serve your plants, people around you and the environment by choosing to take part in organic gardening.  Just follow these steps and you’ll be on your way.

1. Use organic and natural fertilizers to build soil nutrition.
2. Cultivate compost into bedding soils and use it as a top dressing mixed with top soil for your turf grass areas.
3. Keep all bare soil areas mulched one to two inches deep.
4. Select the right plant for the right place, from native and adaptive species.
5. Monitor your soil moisture. It’s always better to water thoroughly and deeply and before the soil dries out.
6. Control weeds by crowding them out with healthy plantings, mulch, and thick turfgrass. Pull weeds when they are small and before they establish.
7. Multi-species lawns are a great way to eliminate poisonous herbicides from your lawn areas. Several varieties of improved and native grasses along with forbs, clover, and wildflowers are OK and a great green approach.

Also, keep in mind that many creatures, including birds, ladybugs, earthworms, lizards and praying mantis are actually good for your garden, so avoid taking measures to get rid of them (that’s one less thing you have to worry about!).

If this seems overwhelming, incorporate just a couple steps per month into your normal gardening routine.  Once they become second-nature, it will be easy to add a couple more, and before you know it, you’ll have a good looking garden with great effects on the environment.

Check out the Green Gardener’s organic gardening segment on KEYE TV’s WeAreAustin.com to see these tips in action!

Already jumped on the green gardening train?  Have any extra tips or product suggestions for us?  Leave your comments below, we always love to hear from you!

If you’ve found yourself in the same boat, not to worry– in the spirit of compromise, our very own Green Gardener, Richard Fadal, has come up with a few plants you can use that won’t land themselves in the belly of a hungry deer on a rampage for a midnight snack.

A few deer-resistant trees which have proven successful are live oaks and Texas cedar elm.  For some larger shrubs, try the Texas mountain laurel, Purple Flowering Sage, and Yaupon Holly.  Medium-sized shrubs which have grown successfully in heavily deer populated areas are agarita, century plant, Texas Sotol, Red Flowering Yucca, and non-invasive Hybrid Nandina (we explain more about non-invasive plants in a separate post).  For those who prefer lower plants, we recommend rosemary, big muhly grass, bearded iris and new gold lantana.

So as spring rolls around and you’re planning your next landscaping move, keep these tips in mind for a longer-lasting, beautiful yard which is inviting to the human eye, but not to our deer friends’ tummies.

For a few more suggestions, as well as visuals of these deer-proof plants and landscaping tips, check out the Green Gardener Richard Fadal’s segment on how to keep deer away from your plants on KEYE TV’s Web site, WeAreAustin.com.

Have you used any of these plants in your yard?  Have other suggestions?  We’d love to hear them (and we’re sure our readers would too)!  Leave your comments below and let us know what you have to say.  Stay tuned for more tips and tricks to keep that landscape of yours looking beautiful.