These overgrown hardscapes are quite common with 25 year old plantings.  But when this happens on newer landscapes something is seriously lacking.

When you deal with inanimate objects in design, like stone, wood and metal, they pretty much stay the way they are.  But plants are living things. Everyone of them is destined to grow a certain way and to a certain size.

Knowing a plant’s characteristics is so important when planting near hardscapes.

But overgrowth should not be your only concern. We’ve all seen walkways pushed out of the ground by surface roots.

And adequate space for root development on large plants is often forgotten when planting on top of retaining walls.  The roots of a large growing tree can push out a wall over time.  Also, as the tree gets larger it can topple over because its restricted root system can not support it.

Controlling “Vegetative Creep” On Hardscapes

Let’s focus on the overgrowth issue. There are two aspects to controlling overgrowth on hardscapes.

1. Plant selection and spacing
2. Pruning

In the first picture above this older landscape was ready for a renovation. The spreading yews (Taxus) were growing well into the driveway and walkway.  The azaleas also crowded the walk and steps.

As you can see all existing plantings were cut down and ripped out.

Proper Plant Selection and Spacing Offers A Future

Dwarf Boxwood (Buxus suffruticosa) are going in the narrow space on either side of the steps.  They can be maintained fairly easily in that small area.

A tall growing, but columnar (narrow) evergreen will be the new dominant plant on the left corner. Low groundcovers and perennials will fill the space around it.  These lower, non-woody plants will not compete with the columnar evergreen allowing it to grow into its beautiful natural form.

How wide a plant will grow determines your spacing and distance from the hardscaping.  It’s not unusual to see relatively new plantings with poorly spaced plants.

Taking the time to look up the size potential of plants:

• gives your landscape a future.
• reduces maintenance and pruning.
• helps to show your knowledge and professionalism.

The Right Pruning Helps Plantings and Hardscapes Coexist

Pruning is normally a part of any comprehensive maintenance program. If you combine annual pruning with smart plant selection and spacing your landscapes have a future.

Sometimes a situation arises where you find yourself compromising due to a unique circumstance. Perhaps you had to position a plant closer to a walkway than you would have preferred.  In this instance regular pruning is the only thing that will make this work, at least for a reasonable amount of time anyway.  If possible you want to limit how often this happens because it puts more dependency on the maintenance end.

All too often you see walls, walkways, patios…you name it, eaten alive by nearby plantings.  The majority of these mishaps could have been either totally prevented or controlled to a reasonable point by pruning.

Ideally you want to be proactive with your pruning and not wait until the hardscape is covered.  If each season you selectively prune back encroaching growth the plant almost becomes trained to this regimen and you avoid having to make major cuts.

In the picture above this planting was installed 2 years ago.  The homeowner is a do-it-yourselfer so I selectively pruned back these few Wiltoni Juniper as an example for him to follow.  Wiltoni Juniper wants to keep spreading and if it’s not controlled will continue to grow right over the driveway.

So think about the plants you intend to install or maintain near hardscapes.

• How do they naturally grow?  Upright?  Spreading?  Mounded?
• What is their potential size?  Height and width.
• Who will be pruning them?  Do they know how to prune this particular plant correctly and when?

These simple steps of knowing a plant’s size potential, spacing them appropriately from hardscapes, and pruning them correctly will distinguish your landscapes from most of those out there.  And guess who people will hold responsible for that?

It just so happens our industry has a “good-news, bad-news” aspect to it.

Here’s the bad news.  Because the landscape business has a relatively low barrier of entry, there’s a ton of mediocrity out there.  This has caused the general public to view the industry as less than professional.

Here’s the good news.  The mediocrity and poor market perception creates a great opportunity for those that practice the trade properly, and let the market know it.

Commodity Or Skilled Trade?

Some of my design clients change their landscape maintenance contractors regularly in search of a knowledgeable one.  Other homeowners feel resigned to the idea that most companies are the same and…”it is what it is”.

Meanwhile these companies forge ahead competing on price and trying all kinds of tactics and advertising to gain more customers – often to replace the ones they lost.

This can’t be fun.

We all work hard, but these commodity-like companies are doing the wrong hard work.

Do The Right Hard Work

Hard work should result in gain, but smart hard work results in long-term gain. This work has real value that solves problems and helps people get what they desire.

And when people get results and satisfaction from working with you, that starts to build the long-term relationship.  They want to do business with you and they’re happy to tell their friends about you.

More work comes by way of your reputation.

Referrals and word-of-mouth become your sales force so you can focus on what really matters…doing the right hard work.

Help And Advise To Show You’re Different

When I meet with a new customer I talk about the work we have planned.  I tell them why I’m recommending things and how it will help improve their landscape. I’ll then explain how the work will be done.  And if subs are involved I’ll even talk about each contractor.  This is all part of personalizing the experience and showing the thought and care you’re putting into their job.

All the extra steps you take, the systems and materials you use, the other contractors you work with…are all part of your normal workday.  And you may not think to talk about them with your customer.  But these are the things that matter.  These are the things you do work hard at that clearly set you apart from others.

How you operate as a business and collaborate with other skilled contractors speaks volumes of who you are and what you’re all about.  What seems so normal to you is often extraordinary to your customers.

Don’t Sell…Teach

There are two realities in the landscape business:

1. Most homeowners are just not aware of the “right and wrong” ways of doing things.  (This is actually true with many of the trades.)
2. Most homeowners think of landscape contracting as a low-level skill.

Fortunately some of the new home improvement shows and magazines have helped educate people.  The internet has also made homeowners more informed.

Here are some techniques to educate your customers and prospects:

• Talk about what you do and why you do it.
• Show people before and after pictures of your work and explain the stages of the projects.
• Describe the thinking that went into your plant selections.
• Talk about the future benefits to their landscape from the care you’re giving it today.

Educate and build relationships that will grow your business now and continuously.  As a bonus you’ll end up really enjoying these relationships too.

Do you operate your business like this?  If so, does it help keep existing customers?  How about getting new ones?  Let us know what you think in the comments.

It is deciduous, but considered a 4 season plant mainly because:

• It has lush dark green leaves.

• It flowers white in early summer.

• It has bright yellow fall color and cinnamon colored exfoliating bark.

As you can see it’s a great plant, but you need to be aware of its capabilities.

The first year or two it grows slow while it establishes. Then the pace picks up and it becomes quite vigorous.

As a climber I’ve yet to see its limit in height. Planted at the base of a large tree it will cling and climb until it reaches the top. I’m talking 60′ no problem.

The good news is you can control climbing hydrangea with proper pruning. But I say that with a warning.  If you use it in a limited space, like the one we’re about to talk about, you must be diligent with your pruning or it will easily take over the area.

It’s Doing Well – Too Well!

How do you respond to a customer that says that to you?

“I’m glad your climbing hydrangea is doing well, but sorry it’s covering your house.”

You can avoid those embarassing moments by knowing a plant’s capability right from the start.  Then you can advise your customer what to expect, how they can care for it or how others will care for it.

In the picture above climbing hydrangea is working well on this brick wall. But the plant wants to get bigger, as it does every year. It’s in its DNA.

Notice that the real dominant growth is towards the top. It wants to climb and get as tall as it can. I’ve used climbing hydrangea on homes where it is maintained just below the second story eaves. Not easy to do, but the look is beautiful.

How To Go About Controlling This Climber

The best time to prune climbing hydrangea is after it flowers.

The new flower buds are formed soon after flowering and remain on those stems for the following year. So you’d rather not cut those off if possible.

However, unless you operate with a “calendar of tasks” for your maintenance accounts, you will most likely prune the hydrangea when you’re there pruning everything else.

So regardless of when you prune climbing hydrangea, cut back the long shoots and those growing outward from the wall to just above a bud or leaf point. Prune selectively using hand pruners.

Often I’ll follow an aggressively growing branch to its “point of origin” and make my cut there.  This is the point where the lateral branch connects to a larger stem.

This climber produces “aerial roots” that attach themselves to whatever structure is nearby. When first planted you may have to help it attach to the structure by:

• Installing the plant so it deliberately leans and touches the wall or structure.

• Tying some of the main branches to the wall or structure temporarily till they attach. Several materials and methods will do this, but be careful these ties don’t constrict around the branches.

These aerial roots will sometimes leave a mark and organic residue on the surface after they attach. On this home some of the branches attached to the white shutters. It took extra time and effort to scrub them clean.

Like with all plants, when you know and understand their characteristics you can use them creatively and effectively. How have you used climbing hydrangea in your landscapes?  Did it perform as you expected or surprise you?  Let us know in the comments.

This category of juniper fills a useful design niche in the landscape. Most stay relatively narrow, yet grow tall. Sometimes referred to as columnar or fastigiate.

Typically they are very hardy, drought tolerant, and adaptable to a variety of conditions.

Often, however, upright juniper are not pruned, but allowed to “go-it on their own”.  This usually causes an open, lanky growth habit.  As a result they have a less than stellar reputation.

Once you understand the characteristics of upright junipers and how to care for them, they’ll become a useful plant in your landscapes.

A Common Characteristic Not Talked About But One You Need To Know

Qualities that make most upright junipers useful in landscape design are:

• their narrow form

• their hardiness

• their unique texture

There’s another characteristic that’s common to most, and that’s how they grow.  All their growth energy goes to the terminal ends of the main branches. If not “selectively pruned” regularly these branches keep getting longer and heavier.  This causes each branch to stay thin with minimal side growth and eventually pull away from the center of the plant.

Lost Cause?… Not Necessarily

In the picture above is an upright juniper we planted a few years back.  This was a tough spot to select a plant. The space was narrow, but height was needed.  The exposure was full sun so the heat got intense in the summer.

This upright juniper (sorry, I don’t remember the exact variety) fit the bill.

But look what happened.  The maintenance company  either overlooked the pruning, or didn’t know how.

So is this plant now a lost cause? Not at this point. You can still save the plant and reverse its decline by:

• “Selectively” pruning back the terminal end of each branch to reduce its length and weight.

• Using Arbor Tie to support the sagging branches by guying them to the center stem of the plant.

Pruning the terminal end of each branch removes the apical bud and encourages lateral or side buds to grow.  This naturally makes the plant grow fuller and stronger.

The Arbor Tie lets you pull the branch back to its correct position and hold it there.  These ties should be temporary until the branches get stronger and hold their position on their own.  This might take 2 or 3 years.

Even though the Arbor Tie is temporary you must make sure there is room for growth and movement.  This PDF on Arbor Tie shows some uses and applications, but you can improvise too.  This is great stuff and I keep a roll in my truck for all kinds of situations.

The picture below shows the upright juniper after being pruned and “arbor-tied”.  Notice how selective pruning maintains the natural character of the plant.

If you use a calendar program like in Microsoft Outlook, or some other scheduling system, set a date to check the arbor ties (e.g. once/year). Don’t forget about them.  They must be monitored and eventually removed.

The Benefits of Rescuing Plants Poorly Maintained

You have to use your judgement here because sometimes it just doesn’t pay to put in the time and effort. In this particular case the task took me 20 minutes; with a good outcome – well worth it. Once again you have to compare the cost of repair (and the expected results) with replacing the plant.

Also, we all like to see a plant saved if possible and there can be real value there for the ecologically-minded homeowner.  Many customers will really appreciate the effort and professionalism.

During your walk around the house make a point of asking homeowners what rooms are which from the outside. They’ll most likely invite you in so you can  appreciate what they see (and feel) from the different rooms.

This is by no means a new concept.  Attentive architects will design and orient homes to capitalize on views from the inside out.

In this post I want to talk about the role ornamental trees can play from inside the home and some of the particular ones you can use for this purpose.

Ornamental Trees Are Like Swiss Army Knives

Smaller and mid-size ornamental trees are really versatile in landscape design.  They’re certainly useful on large scale properties, and frankly indispensible on small scale ones.

When properly chosen an ornamental tree can give canopy or ceiling to a space without taking up a lot of room. Used in relative close proximity to a building they can help soften parts of the architecture.

Design / Sales Tip: A complete landscape project can be a huge expense.  “Phasing” the project is a common way to break up the cost.  You can recommend installing the trees as part of phase 1.  Since the trees have such impact on the landscape, planting them early gives an immediate effect; a lot of ROI for the first installment on the landscape. Plus it gives these key design elements a chance to establish early and get growing.

Branches So Close You Can Almost Touch Them

In the picture above is Flowering Dogwood planted approximately 7′ from the foundation of a raised porch area.

This ornamental tree should grow 18 – 20′ in height and 14 – 16′ in width. And because the porch is open and recessed the dogwood should not encroach into the side of the home.

In the picture below you can see the view the homeowner has from her kitchen window. The closeness of the branching (and flowers in spring) are almost part of the interior decor. Birds will sometimes use the tree as a perch, especially to feast on the glossy red fruit in early fall. She’s told me several times how much enjoyment she gets year-round from that dogwood.

Here are some of the ornamental trees to use near the home that have benefits from the inside too.

• Flowering Dogwood – Well of course.  It’s probably one of the best for this use.  However, flowering dogwood can have plant health issues such as anthracnose and borers. Just make sure you “site it” carefully to avoid stressing the plant. Approximate tree width 14 – 16′.

• Kousa Dogwood – This dogwood is more resistant to anthracnose than standard dogwood and flowers typically 3 weeks later. Another nice feature: Its trunk becomes multicolored with shades of brown, tan and gray. Approximate tree width 14 – 16′.

• Rutgers Hybrid Dogwoods – These dogwoods are from a cross-breeding program started by Dr. Orton at Rutgers University. These hybrids share the traits of standard dogwood and kousa to produce superior plants in terms of plant health. They’re a great choice. Approximate tree width 14 -16′.

• Japanese Maple – There are numerous varieties of this specie so be aware of the particular plant’s characteristics you’re considering. Their branching and trunk architecture is unmatched. Approximate tree width 14 – 16′ (varies among the many cultivars).

• Paperbark Maple – Has an upright and oval form. As the tree matures the bark starts to exfoliate showing beautiful shades of red-brown and cinnamon. Approximate tree width 14 – 16′.

• Japanese Stewartia – Somewhat pyramidal in shape and has camellia-like flowers in June/July. This later-than-spring flowering always gets a nod from homeowners. Approximate tree width 10 – 14′.

Plant Characteristics To Look For

Some of the characteristics to look for when siting an ornamental tree close to the house and to be viewed from the inside are:

• An open branching structure. Avoid trees that have dense foliage and branching.

• Moderate growing that can be easily pruned to control and “influence” branching. (We’ll talk more about directing growth by pruning in future posts).

• Attractive features like flowering, leaf shape and color, trunk color and texture, etc.

Plant health and hardiness are certainly considerations as they would be for any of your plant selections.

You’ll notice I’ve mentioned approximate plant width several times already. It’s so important you know that for each tree you consider, especially when you’re looking for the effect of branching right outside a window.

You want to space the tree from the home close to the potential radius of the tree.  If you do that it will ensure years and years of enjoyment.  Perhaps you’ll need to prune a bit to shape and direct the plant, but this should be minor.

The views from inside the home are important for you to consider as landscape designers and contractors. Your customers will get more enjoyment out of their landscape not only during the day, but also at night if lighting is part of your project.

Canker On The Trunk Of Japanese Maple

These disease causing agents are either fungi or bacteria.

Fungi reproduce by spores, and these spores are the main way a fungus spreads to new hosts. These spores will travel through the air. Once a fungal spore lands on a plant, it lies dormant until conditions are suitable for it to infect the plant. Moisture is a key ingredient for fungus to develop.  You’re probably also aware of this for turf fungi.

Many plant fungi can survive in the soil or on plant debris, whereas bacteria pretty much hangs out just on infected plant debris. This is why it’s good practice to clean up fallen leaves from infected plants and discard them in the trash.

The fungus or bacteria can enter the plant either through a “wound” or even through natural openings. One type of natural opening, and maybe you’re familiar with the term, would be stomata. These are the tiny openings on the underside of leaves.

Wounds Are An Open Invitation To Disease

A plant’s bark is just like our skin. It protects the “innards” from outside harmful things. When an opening occurs the plant becomes vulnerable.

The canker is obvious in the picture of the maple trunk. Michael Hirsch, our plant health care adviser, says the canker developed because a pathogen found its way into a wound at the trunk.

It’s very likely this wound or “split” in the bark occurred from sunscald. This splitting of the bark happens usually in late winter or early spring when severe cold is followed by a quick thaw. Also, sunscald is usually seen on the west side of the plant where afternoon sun causes the thaw.

To protect against sunscald and the wounds it creates you can wrap the trunk with paper tree wrap in late fall. Just remember to remove the wrap in the spring because insects and other organisms can develop and wreak havoc under there.

It’s also a good idea to shape the the wound into an “ellipse” using a sharp knife. Cornell University has a great short article on bark splitting on trees with recommendations on how to deal with them.

Wounds can certainly be caused by other things besides sunscald.

Most wounds in the landscape are man-made. Examples are: poor pruning cuts, damage from improper handling and planting, lawn equipment, etc.  Sometimes animals like rodents and even deer cause damage.

What Can Be Done

There are some proactive things you can do to minimize tree wounding. You know I’m going to say practice good pruning and plant handling techniques, but also install adequate mulch rings around trees to avoid mower and line-trimmer damage. Mike Hirsch also recommends using tree wrap for a short while on a new wound to help prevent a pathogen from settling in. Once callusing starts you can remove the wrap.

In many cases canker will not kill the tree, but could structurally weaken it and its ability to cope in the years to come.

Mike oversees the plant health care on many of my projects. And although he’s always there to diagnose and advise, clients rely on him to not just treat the symptom but discover why these problems are happening. Every landscape contracting business should have a plant health care specialist on staff or one within there network.

It’s not unusual for a homeowner to hire an independent contractor to do the pruning. Meanwhile, their regular maintenance contractor not only misses out on the work, but loses some credibility.

Clearly proper pruning is a skill-set that customers are looking for and have trouble finding. The few companies I know that prune correctly have waiting lists.

When To Prune Viburnum juddi

When to prune depends on if the flowers and fruit are formed on last season’s wood or on the new growth of this season.

Viburnum juddii flowers on last season’s wood so you would prune soon after flowering.  This way the plant can then set flower buds for next season without the danger of them being cut off  later on.

Most viburnum types fall into this “flower on old wood” category.  But it’s worth looking up because a customer that’s been waiting for flowers could get upset if the buds are pruned off.

Pruning Method

The proper way to prune most viburnum is “selectively” with a hand pruner. This lets you make strategic cuts at the appropriate points on the branch.Many landscape companies resort to shearing plants mainly because it is the fastest way.  But in some cases they simply don’t know any better.

The problem is shearing these plants destroys them.  Shearing makes random cuts anywhere on the stems.  This causes contorted and concentrated branching where the sheared cuts were made.  I call this “rat’s nest” because of the way it makes the plant look.

Selective Pruning, Not The Fastest But…

In the “Before” picture you can see the natural form of the plant is basically mounded.  I say mounded rather than rounded because the sides of the plant should grow wider towards the base. And if you’re unsure of the “natural” form of the plant, look it up.  It’s important to know how the plant should look so you can prune it accordingly.

You can also see the “apical ” or “dominant” growth shooting out beyond the mounded natural shape.  Don’t worry about the technical terms – all they mean is the growth at the far ends of branches wants to get longer (i.e. dominate).

Selectively cut back these dominant, long stems where their leaves emerge and side branches join.  Now you’re controlling the plant’s growth and at the same time shaping the plant into a more compact, mounded form.

In the end you have a plant that’s kept healthy and in its beautiful natural form.

It’s never a good thing when plants are growing into the foundation.  Of course this goes back to the initial plant selection, arrangement and spacing. In some cases it makes more sense to transplant the shrub. And your client will appreciate the suggestion and solution.

As best you can try and keep 12″ of space between the building and plant.  In the picture to the left I’ve made several strong cuts to older stems to get the back of this plant away from the house.

It’s natural to just think about making your cuts in the areas where you want the shape of the plant to be.  But one of the advantages of selective pruning is that you can observe the branching of the plant and make that “strategic” cut wherever it serves the plant best.

If you look at the picture above with the hand pruner, notice the thickness of the branch I’m cutting.  That’s 2 year old growth.  I followed the “dominant” leader at the top down into the body of the plant.  I found where it connected to another main stem and made the cut there.

These types of strategic cuts on older wood  help shape the outline of the plant. But equally important is that they minimize the thick heavy stems that can collect at the outline of the plant. Ideally you want younger, softer growth at the ends.

This type of pruning takes time, especially compared to shearing, but the results are well worth it. I find that when I explain the value in proper pruning to my clients they are agreeable to the extra time and expense.

Plant information is a lot like a language.  From an artistic standpoint we use the different plant types, forms, textures and colors to create all kinds of compositions. There are architectural and period styles, even different feelings and moods we can communicate – just like with a language. All by arranging the right selection of plants.

From a practical standpoint we use plant information to solve problems in the landscape.  Just like we use a language to communicate a solution.

Plant Information Is A Cornerstone To Our Trade

A cornerstone is something that is basic, essential, indispensable, and the main foundation upon which something is constructed or developed.

Even if you’re a lawn care contractor a fundamental knowledge of plants will help your business. In fact, if you’re well-versed on turf you already have a good understanding of plant life in general. And although plants can be very different from one another, there’s also a lot they have in common.

No matter what your specialty within the industry, it’s all part of the landscape. Everything is integrated in one form or another.  Having an understanding at some “base level” on each of the parts of the landscape system makes you better at the particular thing you do.  For example, an irrigation contractor with some plant knowledge can more effectively design a sprinkler system than one who doesn’t.

For the landscape architect, designer and landscape contractor plant information is truly cornerstone. You simply can’t provide the best solutions for landscapes without plant knowledge. Period. A major portion of the work I do is “renovations”.  Some of these renovations are only a few years old.  The most common errors on these landscapes is the incorrect selection, arrangement and spacing of plant material.

You Can Build Your Plant Knowledge Easily Everyday

As you’d expect there is an endless number of plants out there. You could take it upon yourself to just start studying and memorizing information, but experience has shown me that learning like that “doesn’t stick”. The best way to discover new information and remember it is while looking for a specific solution.

For example, let’s say your client wants to replace an overgrown spruce on the corner of their home. You know that was the wrong choice because it’s hanging over the house. You measure the space the new replacement will have to grow (at maturity) and also take notice of the surroundings (exposure, soil type, wet or dry, grading, etc.).

You may already have an idea what that new plant should be, but here’s my approach. When you visit the supplier(s) look for the plant you may have in mind, but at the same time consider something different.  You know the basic form and growth habit you’re after – let that be the identifier for another possible choice.

If another plant has that basic form and habit take a minute to consider it. Odds are good it’s labeled in some way with basic information. In my truck I carry 2 books for reference: Dirr’s Hardy Trees and Shrubs by Michael Dirr and The Well-Tended Perennial Garden by Tracy DiSabato-Aust. These 2 books are also great for showing pictures of plants to clients. Michael Dirr’s “Manual of Woody Landscape Plants” (pictured here) is an outstanding reference too. It is more comprehensive and detailed, but without color pictures.

This learning experience is part of your productive day. Maybe you did discover and purchase a new and different plant for that spruce replacement.  But even if you didn’t you’ll likely remember the one or two others you considered. That process of solving a particular problem creates an association with the new plants you looked at. This association is what helps file it in your memory.

Another way to gather new information on plants is to just be aware of their use in other landscapes. I’m always checking out properties as I go about my day, and invariably I’ll spot an interesting plant being used. It could be a plant I have never seen before, or maybe the way it’s being used is unique. Both circumstances are learning experiences to add to your knowledge base.

We’re all busy trying to be productive and profitable every minute of our day. Don’t let that stop you from expanding your knowledge. Make learning a part of your day. You’ll benefit directly because you become a better expert – your work will show that and your reputation grows. In addition, use your knowledge to “educate” your clients & prospects.  This gets their attention and respect…and you know what that gets!

Conventional Wisdom Is Great…If It Only Worked

If you’re in business I’m sure you’ve been approached by those selling advertising or those who tout the latest and greatest way “to get more customers”.

You can buy newspaper and magazine ads, do direct mailings, be part of a “coupon” campaign, or be listed in this and that directory.  And of course there’s the good ole yellow pages.

And if someone does respond to one of those ads or strategies what do you think your “prospect to sales” ratio will be?

Years ago I offered these beautiful redwood play structures installed on my projects.  On a whim I thought I’d do some advertising to see if they might sell on their own.  On recommendation I ran ads for a stretch of time in different publications. After all was said and done I sold one unit.  On the other hand, most of my design clients who wanted a play structure chose from this redwood line. They trusted that the product would be of high quality and properly installed.

Here’s What Works And Feels Good At The Same Time

Today, your reputation is probably the most important asset you have – second maybe to your customer base, which is actually the other side of the same coin. And that brings me to the topic of this post.

Your customer base whom you have served well all along, advising them, looking out for their best interests – they have remained loyal to your landscape business. They respect you and count on your help and suggestions.

Your customer base contributes in a big way to your word-of-mouth business.  And they’ll continue to add to your reputation and bring more “perfect customers” to you.

So keep the money you would have spent on advertising.  There are certainly better things to invest in than 1000 “door hangers”.

Look after the customers you have. Visit their properties when you can and take a quick tour around the home. Jot down any thoughts, ideas, recommendations, etc. and either zip them an email, a short note or even make a phone call.

Not only will your customers appreciate the personal care, but your projects will only look and perform better with this attention.  Your clients and their landscapes will continue to be “ambassadors” to your landscape business.

Some companies use various types of “advertising” as more of a branding tactic to reinforce their name and presence. Interesting strategy.  Perhaps you also use advertising in a strategic way that justifies the time and expense for your company. If you do and don’t mind sharing please leave a “comment”.

The Benefits of Window Boxes

Once you realize how effective they can be in your designs you will want to consider window boxes as possible design solutions. Some of their benefits and effects are:

• They bring life to an otherwise flat and boring facade.
• They add depth and dimension.
• They add color, texture and seasonal change.

In the picture above imagine the home without these window boxes.  The look changed dramatically when they were added. And this garage side is an important area for this home.  Guests and family frequently use this back area to park and enter the house – more so than the front entrance.

Just because they’re called “window boxes” should not limit their use to under windows.  As I mentioned above, “they bring life to flat and boring surfaces”.

A window box can give dimension and interest to a fence or an expanse of barren wall.

The railing on this deck came alive with the addition of these fiberglass window boxes.  They add interest and enjoyment whether you’re on or off the deck.

Seasonal Change for Window Boxes

Here in the northeast there are four distinct seasons.  You could conceivably make changes in the boxes to represent those seasons just like we do in the gardens themselves.

On our projects we have used living plants and natural materials in our arrangements, but also artificial things as well.

The window box above is made of a decorative iron frame with a cedar wood planter box cradled inside.

We used a plastic insert inside the wood planter and had an artificial floral arrangement made in it.

During the warmer months the homeowner has the artificial arrangement showing.  But in the colder months the window box is left empty.  It’s so beautiful that it can easily stand on its own.

Alternatively you could do a cold weather arrangement using evergreen branches, cones and other natural elements.

Styles and Types

There are numerous styles and types of window boxes. Do a Google search and you’ll probably find what you’re looking for. When your design calls for something unique either because of style or size you can always have something made. The iron and wood window box pictured above was fabricated by a metal railing contractor and a carpenter.

Here are some of the manufactured types available:

• Decorative metal cradle with an insert planter of another metal (e.g. copper, tin, etc.), wood, or a natural fibrous liner like coconut mat.
• Wood in endless styles and types.
• Vinyl in various forms.  Walpole Woodworkers offers solid cellular vinyl that is almost indistinguishable from real wood.
• Fiberglass

Hardware and Mounting

Most of the manufactured window boxes have their own mounting recommendations and  hardware. Often the styles with decorative brackets use those brackets for mounting. Some models have an integrated mounting system that is hidden. There are mounting brackets for deck railings as well.

Needless to say you want the mounting system you use to be rock solid.  Between the weight of the window box, the soil media inside and the wear and tear of the outdoor elements, you should not compromise on the mounting.

Soil Media and Watering

If you plant your window boxes you want to be conscious of soil media and watering.

Ideally the soil mix should be typical of a any good potting mix, i.e. rich, organic and well-drained. In terms of pH most annuals tolerate a range, but just be aware of what you’re planting and if it has a particular preference.

Check to make sure the window box has drainage holes and be conscious of what’s underneath them.  They’re going to drip for awhile after watering.

There are soil moist polymer products that can be added to your soil mix to improve the moisture retention.  These can dramatically help reduce the frequency of watering.

And finally, there are drip irrigation systems that can be set up to water on a scheduled basis. While some are manufactured specifically for this purpose, I would normally ask the irrigation contractor to design and integrate the planter drip system with the overall irrigation for the landscape. Just make sure you have independent control such as a dedicated zone or a separately valved feed.

Window boxes really do add a level of detail you don’t normally see in the landscape. It takes a bit of effort in terms of finding the right window box, mounting it correctly and tending to the plantings and arrangements, but the ROI is worth it. Your landscape will stand out for sure.