Winter Watering

Winter Watering

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

It may seem out of place to be worrying about watering your lawn and other plants during the winter time. However, in Colorado's dry climate, your yard does need to be watered throughout the year. We are blessed with many sunny days and this makes it so that there is not a consistent snow cover. Without the snow cover on the lawn, your grass does not get the water that it needs (it is alive year round) and can be damaged this way. Watering in the winter is only done when there is no snow cover on the ground and it is above 40 degrees outside. You can most easily accomplish this by hand watering. Check you lawn and perennials every 4-6 weeks throughout the winter season to make sure that they are getting enough water for what they need throughout the winter months. Call 303-433-3750 for your winter watering needs.

Shrubs and Trees - Little thoughts that make a big difference

Shrubs and Trees - Little thoughts that make a big difference

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

A Sugar Maple (Acer saccharum) has an amazingly brilliant red fall color. It adds interest to your landscape just like the Aspen (Populus tremuloides) clumps which set ablaze our Colorado mountains with gold. Another popular shrub which has a bright red fall color is aptly named “Burning Bush” or Winged Euonymus (Euonymus alatus). Bushes and Trees are ever present in the garden. Many have color branches or beautiful flowers. There are bushes and trees for all situation presented by the Denver landscape.



When installing shrubs or trees in the Colorado landscape it is important to dig a hole which is two to three times (2x-3x) the size of the pot or root ball. Amending the soil is required in certain municipalities for commercial landscape installations and is a water conservation practice. It is heavily recommended to amend all Denver soils by A Better Garden Maintenance, college professors and other professionals. It is important to recognize the water and light requirements of all plant material being installed into a Denver garden prior to planting into the landscape. The amount of shade and sun differ depending on the type of plant. If you like we can develop a plan together which fits your unique landscape’s needs. This can be done during regular garden maintenance or as a special enhancement project.



We attempt to be flexible to fit your schedule. If you want to have a garden installed in your back yard or just need to reclaim and restore your existing landscape, call us. We can give you an estimate on the cost or just setup it up to perform the services on a time and materials basis. We operate across the majority of the Denver Metro Area. We service the Denver Highlands, Golden, Lakewood, Highlands Ranch, Lonetree, Greenwood Village, Centennial, Belmar, Bo Mar, Littleton, Stapleton, Englewood, Wheatridge, Arvada, Washington Park, Congress Park, and other areas in between for sprinkler repair, weekly lawn mowing, weekly garden maintenance, seasonal pruning of shrubs and garden renovation & cleanups. Call today to start service. We look forward to helping you in pursuit of A Better Garden.

Spring Leaf & Garden Cleanup - Yard Restoration and Renovation

Spring Leaf & Garden Cleanup - Yard Restoration and Renovation

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

The snow is melting and the garden areas are being exposed. Now, before the buds break on the shrubs and trees, it is time to remove the leaves and debris from the garden. The leaves being left in the garden can cause issues with pests and disease. It is a great thing to remove the potential hassle and it makes the lawn & garden look great.

Here is an example, the garden below was not cleaned up for two (2) landscaping & gardening seasons.
"Accumulation of leaves & debris in the garden can cause disease and pest issues"

The important things to remember for a spring garden clean-up;

1. Cut back perennials to the "basal growth." Basal growth is the new soft shoots coming out of the base of the plants in your Denver garden. You should not have any dead plant material left on the garden perenials unless it is the shoot leading to the fresh groth.


2. Remove any overgrown sections. Gardening is about what you want to see; if you do not appreciate how the garden looks it needs to be pruned to make it look nice.


3. Large shrubs should be trimmed as needed by their species. Some shrubs such as Dogwoods are thinned to allow new colored wood. Lilacs need to be pruned after flowering in the spring. Some shrubs need to be pruned for a gradual renewal also known as sheering. Some shrubs might need to be fully rejuvenated. Schedule a gardener to come out and perform this service if you are unsure.


4. Rose bushes need to have the winter dieback and rose hips pruned out. Sometimes thinning cuts and new trellising/posting are needed to support bushes.


5. Broken Branches should be cleaned up to provide a proper & clean cut for the plant to heal.


6. Weeds should be pulled by hand or sprayed chemically to reduce issues throughout the season.


7. Leaves & garden debris should be removed with a wire rake first and then a blower should be used to give a clean garden area.


8. Top Dressing of all organic mulch beds should only be done as needed (mulch should not be deeper than 4 inches)

Below is the same picture after the garden had a spring garden cleanup was performed.

Reclaiming a garden is not only possible but a reality when we help you have A Better Garden.

CONTACT US TODAY TO SCHEDULE A SPRING CLEANUP.

(303) 433 - 3750

Mulch - Mulching and it's Effects

Mulch - Mulching and it's Effects

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

Mulch can be divided into two categories; Inorganic and organic mulch. Rocks, or rubber chips would be consider to be inorganic mulch. Bark chips, western shredded cedar, Idaho Shredded Cedar, Metro Mulch (colored recycled chips) and any other form of mulch which biodegrades would be considered organic mulch. Both sources have a positive effect on plants & soil.



Mulches allow water to be dispersed or more has a dampening effect. Rainfall or any water causes compaction as it hits open ground. Mulch allows a cushion and protects the soil structure from compaction or crusting. Both organic and inorganic mulch allows water to be retained in the soil and heat to be moderated. This will reduce the amount of water which needs to be supplemented.



Not only do mulches affect water and soil temperature, but they have a direct effect on your garden. Mulches cover up and help prevent germination of weed seeds. It also allows for easier weeding as the increased water retention makes it easier to get the whole root structure.



The choice of which mulch you utilize is up to you. You need to decide whether you want to see white rocks, dark shredded cedar, large bark chips or even a brightly colored red mulch. The benefits of inorganic mulch is it does not decompose. This means you will not have to top dress, unless you just want to add some fresh color. But at the same time, if the mulch does not decompose, organic matter is not added to the soil profile.



Organic mulch is lost throughout the season from decompostion. This is a great benefit to any garden as organic matter increases the water retention capacity of the soil. With natural mulch, the garden will need to be topdressed regularly to ensure the benefits are being received. Be careful, the addition of more than about 4 inches of mulch can actually cause disease, absorb the water, and even not allow air to the roots.



Just remember, we provide all gardening and mulching services. Contact us today and we can get a gardener out to provide cleanup, pruning, weeding or mulching services. We hope this help you have A Better Garden.

Winter Watering

Winter Watering

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

The Denver area is considered to be a semi arid climate. Essentially this makes our front range community a desert. Infrequent rainfall and snowfall do not put much moisture in our soil. This is especially true with moisture from a snow event. Even with a 3 inch snowfall, we only receive around a quarter inch of precipitation. We almost never receive enough rain or snowfall to support the true need of the plants in our yards. This moisture needs to be supplemented.

The addition of water during the winter months is a critical addition to the health of all plants (pansies, perennials, shrubs and trees). These plants do not shut down over the winter as it appears. The lack of moisture can cause dehydration of the branches and stems. When this happens in trees, it cause either winter die back or weakens the cells in the branches. This is a process called "cavitation." Essentially the cavities of the xylem, with which the plants pull up water, are destroyed and no water can pass through. This not only affects the physiology of the plant, but also the structural integrity. Winter Watering, done in the correct fashion, can help deter these effects.

Winter watering should only be performed when the air temperature is above 40 degrees Fahrenheit. Watering should only be performed during daylight hours to reduce the possibility of creating ice. Use of a watering wand with shut-off on the handle is recommended. During the winter a garden should be watered as much as necessary and as the weather permits.

Thank you for reading. Please visit us on the web at http://www.abtrgarden.com/ .

We hope these tips will help you have A Better Garden.