Why Fall Clean Up

By:Whitney GronsethA Better Garden Maintenance, LLC
Denver, CO

Fall Clean Up

Now that fall is here, what does one do with their yard? It seems that as the cool days and nights set it that there is nothing left until spring time. This is not true! Getting your yard prepared for the winter is the prudent way to ensure that your lawn, foliage, your landscape investment is in tip top shape for the spring time by preventing disease, and pest infestation. All this works together to allow your lawn, plants and trees to become better situated in the winter leaving them strong and healthy for the spring.



So, how does cleaning up your yard prevent disease? Well, it does so in several ways; First of all, if leaves and dead plant material are left where they fall, a couple things can happen. The dead plant material starts to rot – which will transfers onto your lawn and healthy plants. It also prevents much needed air circulation into the lawn which weakens the lawn over the winter, which also opens it up to disease. Secondly, a fall clean-up also entails pruning back foliage, trees and bushes. By doing so, limbs, branches, stems, etc. that are broken or will be broken during the winter are removed, again preventing disease and infection from getting into the plant. With the leaves and other dead foliage removed and bushes and trees trimmed back, you are helping your yard have a healthy winter and a beautiful spring.



Now a yard and garden with dead plant material and leaves all over is a safe haven for pests. This gives them a perfect environment during the winter time to be safe, warm and breed with an ample supply of food. So then, come spring time, your lawn and garden are already infested with slugs, snails and the likes. Therefore, a good fall clean-up gets rid of all the materials that would otherwise attract and harbor common garden pests.



A key element in having a healthy lawn and trees is, in fact, the winter months. During this time, grass roots as far in the ground as possible. This results in your lawn becoming even more healthy and more beautiful when the spring and summer months finally come back. This is actually why this time of year is the best time to sod or re-sod. It is also why fall is the time to get your lawn fertilized and aerated. You will most definitely see the difference come spring.



At A Better Garden Maintenance, LLC, we offer full fall yard clean up and can work with you in whatever you need to make sure that your lawn is ready for fall. Your landscape investment is important enough to have the professionals get your yard ready for the winter. Call (303) 433-3750 to make your appointment for your fall clean up today.

Preparing Your Yard For Winter

Preparing Your Yard For Winter

By:Whitney Gronseth
A Better Garden Maintenance, LLC
Denver, CO

Preparing Your Yard for Winter

With the winter months nearly upon us, now is the time to prepare your yard for winter. Now is the best time to aerate and fertilize your lawn. Even though the grass may look dormant on the surface, it is actually sending it’s roots deeper. This enables it to survive the winter and come back strong and green in the spring. You can see why aeration and fertilization now is vital to a healthy lawn come spring, and throughout the years. Now is also the best time to sod or re-seed your lawn. All this goes to a hale and hearty lawn come spring.

Pruning your trees and bushes in the fall season serves a duel purpose. First, cutting back braches now readies and encourages new spring growth. Secondly, getting rid of potentially dangerous limbs now (ones overhanging houses, power lines, cars, weak branches, etc.) saves a lot of time, heartache and money come the winter months by prevented property damage. A Better Garden Maintenance, LLC provides all the above services done well and done right. Call (303) 433-3750 now to schedule your winterization services.

What is Core Aeration?

What is Core Aeration?

By:Whitney Gronseth
A Better Garden Maintenance, LLC
Denver, CO

Core aeration is where plugs of soil are mechanically pulled from the lawn to allow moisture and air to penetrate into the soil more easily. Core aeration also breaks down the thatch layer and well as allowing room for grass roots to grow. Lawns that are aerated are healthier, greener and able to withstand the extremes of each season in Colorado. In our climate, the best time to aerate is late summer/early fall.

To give your lawn as much help as you can, fertilization is recommended following aeration. This prepares your lawn for the winter weather as well as gives it a kick start for spring.

At A Better Garden we offer an aeration and fertilization special. We will be servicing North Denver this Thursday and the South Metro area this Friday and the weeks through October. Call (303) 433 – 3750 now to schedule your lawn core aeration. You can also contact us through our website http://www.abtrgarden.com/

Denver Lawn Aeration - Get your Denver lawn aerated to aid the care of the turf grass.

Denver Lawn Aeration - Get your Denver lawn aerated to aid the care of the turf grass.

By:Jonathan Manning, CLT
A Better Garden Maintenance, LLC
Denver, CO

The seasons are changing and it is becoming time to aerate turf grass areas. In all situations it is recommended to use a core plug aerator. This allows plugs of soil, thatch and roots to be pulled on top of your lawn. These plugs laying on your lawn are an important part of keeping a healthy lawn.





A good lawn care regiment, for a healthy turf grass, always includes, at minimum, a spring aeration. All full service lawn maintenance contracts offered by A Better Garden Maintenance, LLC offer a spring aeration, along with three fertilizations and two broadleaf applications. Additional aerations are a set price and may be requested whenever we are providing the service.





It is important to recognize the benefits of an aeration especially in the Denver metro area. Metro areas soils are generally clay and do not promote root grow as much as would be promoted in a silty loam. Remember, this process allows air & water to enter and leave the soil profile. The plugs left on top of the grass areas introduce soil microbes to the thatch layer. This in turn brings the thatch layer organic matter into the soil profile, decreasing risk of disease in the soil.





Email us at abettergarden@abtrgarden.com to setup an appointment or call us at (303) 433 - 3750. Let us work together to meet your needs to have A Better Garden.

Garden Cleanup is Here- Schedule now to get prompt service

Spring Garden Cleanup is Here- Schedule now to get prompt service

By:Jonathan Manning, CLT
A Better Garden Maintenance, LLC
Denver, CO

Already the grass is starting to show a little green through the yellow straw. The garden is bursting with the first buds of spring. Color is sinking back into the world around us. Tulips and hyacinth will be emerging and giving the hope of color and warmer weather. Daffodils will be shining brightly in the midst of the garden. In May, the Tall Bearded Iris will be blooming. All this is possible by making sure the garden has been cleaned, planted and maintained properly.

Many landscapes are built through a lifetime of labor. Even when landscape construction happens there is something else that is an afterthought. A touch the designer didn't think was desired can be added by a small construction crew or by gardeners. The amending, planting bulbs & perennials, trimming back bushes properly, mowing the lawn at the right height (most home lawns require to be cut at 2 1/2" - 3"). Hand weeding, restoring mulch, and watering properly all lend to having a well groomed yard or commercial property. All processes of leaf & garden cleanup(spring cleanup, fall cleanup), regular mowing at a proper height(cutting no less than 1/3 of the grass blade at any one time), lawn core aeration (spring & fall), fertilizing (slow release granular 3-4 times per year), proper watering methods (deep, less frequently instead of shallow, frequently) all lend to a synergism allowing your lawn, garden, retail business or office park to look its best.

Seasonal Lawn Mowing Contracts - Residential Weekly Lawn Mowing Service

Seasonal Lawn Mowing Contracts - Residential Weekly Lawn Mowing Service

By:Jonathan Manning, CLT
A Better Garden Maintenance, LLC
Denver, CO

***SPECIAL OFFER***

Sign up now for a residential weekly lawn mowing service contract and receive a free sprinkler startup & winterization (up to $70.00 per service). Weekly lawn mowing contracts includes 26 weekly mowings, spring core lawn aeration, three (3) fertilizations. Weekly service includes mowing, string trimming, and blowing. Monthly all concrete edges are edged with a steel blade edger. This package starts at approximately $35 weekly (~$1050 per season). Spring & Fall leaf cleanup are not included in this package.

If contract is cancelled early, homeowner is responsible for all costs related to sprinkler activation fees associated with special offer. Special offer only includes cost of spring sprinkler activation or fall sprinkler winterization, any additional sprinkler repairs will be billed at additional time & materials cost listed in the contract.


Special offer is only available to new customers for contracts signed before April 10th, 2009. Special Offer must be mentioned with initial call. Call now for your free estimate.

Annual Flowers - Spring Color

Annual Flowers - Spring Color

By:Jonathan Manning, CLT
A Better Garden Maintenance, LLC
Denver, CO

When people hear Spring Color, they think everything from flowering fruit trees, spring bulbs and the flowers people plant after the last spring frost(around mother's day in Denver). The first two, fruit trees and spring bulbs, need to be planned and planted way before spring. Flowering trees can be added while they are blooming and usually do well. Yet today, we will talk about the immediate effect of Annual Flowers.



Annual flowers are the best idea to add constant color to your property. They accent not only you garden, but the crisply cut grass as well. Yet, not all annual flowers are the same. The reason they are called annuals is, for the most part, they need to be newly planted every year. I say mainly because such flowers as snapdragons, dianthus, and even some petunias may overwinter and be growing come spring time. Some even re-seed throughout their growing season. As an annual, the only goal they have is to make more seeds to further their germplasm. Either way it is important to choose the right annuals for the location, cost, and texture.



There are lots of spring annuals to choose from to give your commercial or residential garden a burst of color. Some are better in a container garden, while others look amazing in large displays on the ground. Below are some geraniums which look amazing when well maintained (deadheading & ground aerated by hand).







Some annual flowers, such as petunias, are by far the cheapest, quickest spreading and most vibrant display of color for which you can ask. The brillant display comes with a heavy price, a lot of flower maintenance. All these petunia flowers produce seed pods, after being germinated by bees, wasps or other insects, which need to be removed. It is important to note that the whole seed pod needs to be removed, not just the dead petals & sepals. When these seed pods are removed, known as deadheading, the plant then attempts to produce more seeds. This is done by first producing more flowers for you to enjoy.



Remember, some annual flowers are specifically grown in shade or sun. Some are available because people like the unique texture they bring. The more exotic flowers should generally only be planted into flower container gardens as other flowers will highlight the complexity and uniqueness. Before planning out your annual flowers consider the height, shape, color, and other characteristics which will affect your spring color planting.



A Better Garden Maintenance, LLC just wishes to remind everyone we both install and maintain annual flowers. Please contact us for more information.