Landscaping Advice

I had a new landscape installed about five years ago. I thought with minimal maintenance it would still look good. It doesn’t. Some perennials are floppy, some plants have died and others have taken up more than their fair share of the landscape. Please advise. I work and really need some knowledgeable help.

Landscapes and the plants in them are dynamic, always growing and changing. A good design will provide a nice looking landscape for many years to come. Let’s start with the perennials. Depending on the variety they may need dividing as often as every other year or as infrequent as every 50 or more years as is the case with peonies. Many landscape designers pack in the plants for quick impact expecting you or your landscape maintenance company to do some thinning and pruning to keep things under control. This is always a good point to discuss with your landscaper during the planning stages. Do you want quick impact or are you willing to wait a while and let the landscape mature with less (there still will be maintenance) thinning, transplanting, and pruning on your part. Mulching the soil with shredded leaves, bark, evergreen needles or other organic material will help suppress the weeds, conserve moisture and as the mulch breaks down improve the soil. Match the pruning strategy to the plant for the best results. And once the plants are established, water thoroughly and only as needed. Check out my tips on how to find a professional that best fits your needs.

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