Seven Secrets For A Beautiful, Low-Maintenance Landscape

Seven Secrets For A Beautiful, Low-Maintenance Landscape

(NAPSI)—Anyone who thinks a low-maintenance landscape has to be plain green and ugly should think again. With a bit of planning, some smart plant choices and the help of these seven garden designer secrets, you can have a yard that’s the envy of your neighborhood—and enough time to enjoy it.

1. Choose plants that will flourish given the realities of your yard. Some plants like full sun while others tolerate shade; some don’t mind freezing temperatures while others are unfazed by relentless heat. Selecting plants that thrive in the existing conditions of your site ensures a healthy, attractive landscape. Observe the light levels around your home—six to eight hours plus of uninterrupted sun each day indicates full sun, four to six hours is considered part shade or part sun, and less than four hours would be a shaded site. Plants at the garden center should have tags that tell you their light preferences. Shopping locally helps ensure that all the plants you see will be suitable for the climate in your yard.

2. Plant drought-tolerant shrubs. These specially adapted plants thrive with limited water once they are established (usually after their first season in the ground). Drought-tolerant plants sail through hot summer days easily, saving you the time and money it takes to water the landscape. Read the tag attached to the shrub for information on its drought tolerance or look for visual cues such as silvery-grey leaves, as are found on Petit Bleu caryopteris, and narrow, needlelike foliage, as on Fine Line rhamnus. 

3. Spare yourself the time it takes to prune your plants by opting for compact varieties. Compact (also known as dwarf) plants never get too large for the space where you’ve planted them so you don’t have to bother with confusing pruning instructions. Most people’s favorite plants are available in compact, no-prune varieties: hydrangea lovers can try Little Lime or Bobo dwarf-panicle hydrangeas or the tidy Cityline series of big-leaf hydrangea. Rose fans should take note of the low-growing Oso Easy series with its range of 10 vivid colors, all under 3’ high. Even butterfly bush, a shrub notorious for its giant, sprawling habit, is available in a compact 2’ height with the innovative Lo & Behold series. 

4. Choose plants with high-quality, attractive foliage. These look great even when not in bloom, beautifying your landscape for months instead of just a few weeks. Colorful foliage, including the dark purple of Black Lace elderberry or the cheery gold of Chardonnay Pearls deutzia, and variegated foliage, such as My Monet weigela or Sugar Tip hibiscus, make engaging focal points from early spring through late fall. Mix them with such evergreens as Castle Spire holly and Soft Serve false cypress for year-round color.

5. Plant in masses of three, five or seven of the same kind of plant. This gives your landscape a cohesive, professionally designed appearance. Plus, weeds cannot grow if desirable plants are already taking up the space, eliminating that notoriously tiresome garden chore. Planting in groups of odd numbers is a designer’s secret for a bold statement that doesn’t feel too formal or fussy.

6. Mulch. A two- to three-inch-thick layer of shredded bark mulch not only gives your landscape a pleasing, finished look, it conserves water by reducing evaporation. It also keeps plant roots cool and shaded, allowing for healthy, vigorous growth that resists pests and diseases naturally. 

7. Don’t be afraid to replace the plants that take too much of your time, or those that you don’t really like, with new, easy-to-grow shrubs. There are so many improved varieties available now that there is little reason to settle for anything else. 
Here at Imperial Services we have the equipment to clear away the weeds and aerate the yard to edge the beds and to blow away the debris!

Mowing Tips For A Great-Looking Lawn

Mowing Tips For A Great-Looking Lawn

The grass can be greener on your side of the fence if you heed these eight hints on making the most of mowing.

1. Choose the Correct Cutting Height: 
This depends on the type of grass, the amount of rainfall, prevailing temperature and the lawn’s overall condition.

2. Don’t Cut Your Grass Too Short: 

Mowing too short can result in weak, thin grass that’s easily damaged by drought and pests. Leaving your grass a bit longer reduces heat buildup and preserves needed moisture. A good rule of thumb is the one-third rule—cut no more than a third of the grass height and never more than an inch at a time.

3. Mow With Sharp Blades: 
Sharp blade’s cut grass cleanly and efficiently; dull blades tear at the grass, harming it. We Sharpen Blades here at Imperial Services.

4. Mow When the Grass Is Cool and Dry: 
Late afternoon or early evening often provides ideal mowing conditions. Don’t mow after rain or even heavy dew and never mulch when the grass is wet. Moist grass can clump beneath the mower deck.

5. Water Your Lawn Regularly: 
Try to imitate a slow, soaking rain by applying about an inch of water per week. Consider placing tin cans around your lawn, so you can check to be sure you are giving it the proper amount of water.

6. Use the Right Amount of Fertilizer: 
A slow-release fertilizer provides missing nutrients for slow, even growth. When to fertilize and how much to use depends on the condition of your lawn and soil. 

7. Aerate in the Spring: 
Using an aerator to remove cores of soil from the lawn increases clipping decomposition speed and encourages deeper root growth by opening up the soil and permitting greater movement of water, fertilizer and air.
Here at Imperial Services we have an Aerator that you can rent, by the hour, day or week. Just give us a call  @ 978-67-6016.

8. Select the Right Mower: 
The right mower for your lawn depends on the size of the property, whether there are hills and whether you want it to help with other chores, such as pulling a cart for yard work. Once you have your answer, you can decide among a walk-behind mower, a rider tractor or a zero-turn machine. Get advice from the experts on lawn care at Imperial Services Inc.

Maintain Your Snow Blower

Learn how to correctly service, clean and care for your snow blower to extend its life and improve efficiency. Proper storage of your snow blower in the off-season will also ensure you get the most out of your blower year after year.
• Check the oil level before each use and add as needed.
• Check the fuel level before each use.
• Check shear pins and other bolts frequently for proper tightness.
• Change the spark plug every 100 hours or once a season.
• Check snow-blower shave plates and skid shoes for wear and damage; replace as needed.
• After use, run the auger on a dry surface for a few moments to eliminate moisture on the unit and to prevent freeze-up of the auger / impeller.
• Check tire pressure.

Service the Rubber Auger
These rubber paddles will eventually need replacement because they wear out over time. Their service life will depend on variables, such as use, adjustments, maintenance and operating surface. Rubber paddles should be replaced when they're damaged or worn out. They may also need to be replaced if the unit is improperly discharging snow forward instead of through the chute.

Clear a Clogged Discharge Chute
Hand contact with the rotating impeller inside the discharge chute is the most common cause of injury associated with snow blowers. Never use your hand to clean out the discharge chute.

To clear the chute:
Shut the engine off.
Wait 10 seconds and ensure the impeller blades have stopped rotating.
Always use a clean-out toll, not your hands.

Properly Adjust Skid Shoes
Adjusting the skid shoes on a two-stage snow blower allows you to determine how close to the ground the unit will clear snow.

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If you're clearing an even and solid surface, you can adjust the skid shoes as follows:

TIP: 
The auger housing needs support during this adjustment. Find something that might be equal to or close to 1/8 of an inch thick (a piece of wood, a couple of sections of newspaper, sheet(s) of cardboard). Make sure the width is less than that of your snow blower. To properly support your unit for this adjustment, don't use anything that's fragile or unstable.

Place the supporting device underneath the center of the shave plate below the auger housing. This support should then elevate the sides of the auger housing slightly.
Now loosen the hardware, securing the skid shoes on both sides of the auger housing, slide the shoes until they're even with the ground, and then tighten the shoe hardware.
If you remove the support material, you should find that your shave plate is positioned just slightly above the ground with the shoes properly supporting the entire auger housing.

Special Irregular Surface Adjustment:
 If you're are clearing a surface that has an unusually irregular surface, such as gravel or cobblestone, you should follow the instructions above, but you should use something much thicker than 1/8 of an inch for support during the adjustment. The actual thickness needed depends on the severity of the surface or the size of stones covering the surface. For example, if you have stones that are as large as a 1/2 inch in diameter, use something close to 3/4 of an inch in thickness for this support.

***Before performing maintenance on any unit, always disconnect and ground the spark plug wire.

Top Ways to Avoid Snowblower Hassles

Staying on top of basic snowblower maintenance can be the key to avoiding frustration when a big snowstorm hits.

“Having old gasoline in the tank is the most common reason snowblowers won’t start.
 One of the most important things you can do to promote good starting is to have fresh fuel. Stale gas can leave harmful deposits in your product’s fuel system, he reveals. If the gas in your snowblower is more than thirty days old and your machine won’t start, we suggest  taking it to Imperial Services so we can remove the gas. Then put fresh gas in your tank. Adding a fuel stabilizer can help keep the gas fresh through the entire snow season.

The same is true for oil. Changing the oil at the end of the season is a good rule of thumb. That way, you’re ready to go when the season starts. If you haven’t changed the oil yet, we suggests doing so now. Consider using oil specifically made for outdoor equipment. This oil contains higher anti-wear additives not found in automotive oils and helps your engine start, even in bitter cold temperatures.

Another common issue during the snowblowing season is foreign objects getting stuck in the machine. Believe it or not, the most common object to get stuck in snowblowers is the newspaper. Before you set out to clear your driveway or sidewalk, be sure it’s free of debris and objects.

We suggest doing a simple inspection of your snowblower, which can also help keep it tip top shape. Before you do any work on your machine,be sure the engine is off and the spark plug wire is disconnected. If you have a single-stage snowblower, inspect the rotor blades for wear. When a rotor blade edge has worn down to the wear indicator hole, both rotor blades and the scraper should be replaced. If you have a 2-stage machine, check the skids (the part attached to the side of the auger housing). This part lifts the auger and scraper off the ground, preventing the auger from coming in direct contact with the pavement. Be sure the skids don’t show signs of significant wear. If they are damaged or very thin, they need to be replaced.

Sometimes starting problems can be simple operator error. Check your owner’s manual for the proper starting procedure for your machine.
And if you need a new snow blower we have Columbia Brand in stock here at Imperial Services.

Prep Your Yard for Next Growing Season

This is prime time to prep your yard for the next growing season, Cooling temperatures slow above ground growth, and moister soil encourages strong root development. Removing spent stems, dead branches, and heavy leaf cover protects plants' overall health. Read on for the fall checklist.

Aerate the Lawn
A walk-behind aerator that pulls out 2½-to 3-inch-deep soil plugs, which will break down naturally by spring.
We have them for sale or Rent, here at Imperial Services
Feed Your Grass
Cutting back on fertilizer in late summer prevents perennials from wasting energy on leaf production. But grass roots keep growing until the ground gets down to around 40 degrees, so this is a good time to feed them. Apply a high-phosphorus (12-25-12) mix to lawns in fall to encourage roots, so turf greens up earlier in spring.
Mow a Final Time
Trim turf down to 1¼ inches for the last cut of the season. Disease has a harder time with shorter grass, and fallen leaves blow across the lawn because they have nothing to latch on to. Don't go too low, though: Grass makes most of its food in the upper blade.

Trim Dead Limbs
Lifeless branches can succumb to winter snow and winds, endangering you and your home.
 But you can protect small ornamental trees from further damage by cutting cracked, loose, and diseased limbs close to (but not flush with) the trunk; leave the wounds exposed to heal.

Cut Back Perennials
A little work now results in healthier spring beds: Evict tired annuals, as well as the snails and slugs that feed on them, which breed in fall. Trim spent perennial foliage down to the ground; this sends energy to the roots, for next season. Every three years, divide crowded tuberous plants, like irises and daylilies: More space means more flowers.

Storing Your Mower

The mowing season is coming to an end, and winter is just around the corner! Once you’re done mowing for the year, replace any worn parts and properly store your machine to help ensure it is ready for next spring.

If you’re planning to do your own maintenance, here are tips that will help you prepare for winter. See your operator’s manual for further details on performing any of the maintenance mentioned.

If you prefer to have a dealer do any necessary maintenance or repairs on your mower, now would be a good time to contact us here at Imperial Services (978-670-6016). Once spring comes, we will be extremely busy, and we could have long delays.

Fuel system preparation
Add fuel stabilizer/conditioner to the fuel tank. Run engine for five minutes to
distribute conditioned fuel through fuel system. Stop engine, allow it to cool, and
drain fuel tank or run engine until it stops. Either choke or prime the engine, restart it
a third time and allow it to run until it stops. Continue to attempt to restart the engine
until it no longer will start.  While the engine is still warm, change the engine oil (and filter, as applicable), if this service is due.
Cylinder/Piston care
4-cycle engines
Remove spark plug and add about one tablespoon of oil through spark plug hole.
Slowly rotate engine several times using starter rope or key starter to distribute
oil. Reinstall spark plug, but do not connect spark plug wire.
2-cycle engines
Slowly pull recoil starter until resistance is felt due to compression pressure, then
stop. Release starter tension slowly to prevent engine from reversing due to
compression pressure. This position closes both the intake and exhaust ports to
prevent outside air entry, which can result in corrosion of the cylinder bore.
Tighten fasteners as needed.
Service air filter as described in operator’s manual.
       
Clean unit thoroughly.
                                                         
Touch up all rusted or chipped paint surfaces.
Battery (if applicable) –
Remove battery from unit and fully
charge prior to storage.
Replace damaged or worn parts.
Sharpen and balance the mower blade(s).

Lubricate unit per the operator’s manual.
Storage
Ensure engine has cooled. Cover unit and store in a clean, dry location out of the reach of children.  Note: Never store unit in house (living area) or basement where ignition sources may be present, such as a hot water heater, space heater, or clothes dryer. Gasoline and fumes are highly flammable and explosive. Fumes also can be dangerous if inhaled.

Brought to you by Imperial Services Inc.

THE BEST TYPE OF AERATOR

The Best Type of Lawn Aerator

There is a bit of mystery surrounding the lawn aerator. What does it do? Which type is best? When do you use it? A lawn plug aerator is actually one of the most important tools to keeping your grass healthy. This is a specific type of aerator. Not just any will do.

 Here are the reasons why:

Lawn plug aerators actually remove plugs of soil from the lawn, which opens up spaces for air and water to penetrate.

These lawn plug aerators are vastly superior to a punch aerator or aerating shoes because they actually remove the soil, rather than pushing it down further.

The purpose of aerating is to alleviate compaction, so removal of soil is more likely to do that than pushing soil further down.

Some lawns need more organic matter added to the soil and removing plugs of soil creates space for the top-dressing organic matter to incorporate into the soil.

Most often, lawn plug aerators work with hydraulic systems, giving them the power to reach a much deeper soil layer than an aerator/roller combination.

When To Use a Lawn Aerator

If you can find an aerator to rent, all the better. Most of the time, though, if you want the benefit of a lawn plug aerator, you will have to hire a professional lawn care service to aerate your lawn for you. They are more likely to have the equipment, or have access to it. The best time to aerate your lawn is in the spring or fall. Doing so in the fall will help the lawn if you overseed it. It will also relieve compaction from heavy use during the summer season. During the fall, roots of grass grow quickly, so the extra space, air and water will aid good root growth before the grass goes dormant or slows growth for the winter. The spring is a good time to aerate to incorporate organic matter into the soil, and to aid with lawn renovation.

Lawn Care Before and After Aerating

Before you deploy the lawn aerator, mow your grass slightly lower than normal and water it well for two to three days before aerating. Next, use the lawn plug aerator to aerate the lawn. You will want to break up the clods, and help the lawn recover from the stress of aerating, so you need to water the lawn again immediately after you are finished aerating. To improve your soil structure, a couple of days after aerating, top-dress with a compost/topsoil blend and rake it into the holes. Earthworms and soil insects will work in the new addition, improving the soil quickly. Using a lawn aerator the right way will improve the health of your lawn, thus reducing the amount of time you will need to spend caring for it.

Check out our RENTAL DEPARTMENT
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