Category: Landscaping

Commercial Calgary Landscaping Companies Winter Tree Care

The winter weather in Calgary is a challenge for any landscape. Trees and shrubs can sustain damage due to the variable weather. It is important to take care of trees throughout the winter to keep them healthy for next spring’s thaw.

Calgary Landscaping: The Challenges of Winter Weather

Calgary’s unique position in southern Alberta places it right in the path of the warm chinook winds coming off the eastern slopes of the Rockies. The winds pick up speed and strength going through the Bow Valley. This warm wind can cause extreme temperature fluctuations. Add dry air to the mix and you may see tree damage everywhere.

Tip Kill

As the air warms up, but remains dry, the tips of tree branches start to dry out. Since the roots are frozen, they are unable to bring water into the tips to replenish the supply. This leaves the tips starved of moisture, which causes them to die. This condition is known as “tip kill” or “die back”. Common signs are dry twigs and discolored evergreen needles. The damage done can be extensive enough to kill smaller plants. Creating wind breaks or covering plants with mulch are effective options for preventing this kind of damage.

False Spring

Calgary landscaping professionals dread false spring. When the warm Chinook winds stay around longer than normal, it begins to warm the ground. The warm ground can bring trees out of dormancy too early. The sap flows and the tree begins spring growth. When the winter winds return, the freezing temperatures can cause severe damage to the new growth that won’t go away with the approach of real spring.

Another cause of false spring is sun scald. Snow is on the ground and the sun is bright in the sky. As the sun’s rays reflect off the snow, it can cause tree tissues on the south side to start thawing. Then, when the sun goes down, the thawed tissues refreeze. This continual freeze/thaw/freeze/thaw cycle can cause the tree’s bark to split. This can damage inner tissues and even kill the tree. If you notice a split limb or trunk, wrap it to prevent further damage.

Animal Damage

Non-hibernating animals like deer and rabbits are another challenge for Calgary landscaping professionals. They will eat tree bark during winter, plus pillage your perennials and shrubs. This can cause exposure of the tender inner tissues of the tree. Placing wire fencing around the base of the tree is an effective option for preventing this kind of damage.

De-Icing Agents

Plants along sidewalks and near parking areas are vulnerable to any DE-icing agents you put down. Use those DE-icing materials sparingly and only where necessary. Excess use can cause damage and even kill smaller trees and plants.

If you need help with your winter tree care or want a four-season land maintenance company, call us here at Mirage Landscaping. We have been proudly serving the Calgary area for three generations with landscape services and snow removal.

Landscaping An Art Work for Your Home

Landscaping is one of the methods to beautify your home and giving
it a pleasant look. This involves manoeuvring the natural environment in
any surrounding or area trying to bring out authentic effect to your
home. It chiefly focuses on gardening but landscaping also deals with
wall installations, construction and keeping in mind the area as a
whole. There are many reasons people opt for landscaping that ranges
right from desire to have attractive surrounding to trying to utilize
the place for some kind of recreational activities of your choice.

Landscaping generally acts as giving personal touch
to your outdoor space and making it part of your home. You have option
of hiring a professional landscaper who will take care of designing and
suggesting the theme that would complement the look of your home or if
you think you have certain ideas in your mind and what to implement it
then you can go ahead with it. But you need to make sure that you
discuss openly about your expectation and be open to ideas from them
also. You never know the brainstorming might help in coming up with a
much better solution. Don’t settle for anything less than the best as
this is one time investment for life. The landscape is the first
impression anyone who comes to your home would have.

If you are
nature loving person and interested in gardening then you can anytime
create a beautiful landscape for yourself or hire someone to take care
of it and bring out the essence as well. Landscaping is restricted to
its area and surrounding and if you plan to hire a landscaper his first
step is to make rough sketch of the building. This helps in establishing
the context and getting a clear idea about the natural establishment
like environment and surrounding buildings and then come up with the
limitations. Once the landscaping company comes with the final blueprint
then they can to establish the design and layout and getting started
with it.


The first step for landscaping is to clear the place and make layout
for the pathways and from there on it is carry forwarded to other
aspects that you are keen on or have being decided. The next thing you
do is decide what is your requirement precisely based on the locality
and the outdoor area you have. You love swimming then pool is the best
option, if want to give your home a grandeur style fountain does it the
best, you are a thinker or a lover by heart looking out for quality time
then go for benches and bring out that effect. Once you cleared this
hurdle, the landscaper now starts adding the natural look to your place
to bring it to life by adding shrubs, trees, plants, stones and other
such materials to bring out the desired effect.

The utmost
important thing to keep in mind is that this is not about just
individual designs or accessories but it should blend in as whole right
from the color to the theme. Finally opt for the best landscaping
company with credibility and don’t forget to maintain it later to give
your home lively feel for many years to come.

Backyard Landscaping – An Important Area To Landscape

For homeowners around the world, a big part of owning a home is
landscaping the yard. Front yard landscaping or backyard landscaping,
the work must be done. While the front yard is important because it’s
more visible to neighbors and others who drive by, the backyard is no
less important. The backyard is where families and friends gather for
barbeques and birthday parties and where some families place their
swimming pools. Most backyards are landscaped with careful thought and
preparation. Special consideration is put into the positioning of every
blade of grass, each decorative stone and all of the species of flowers
that beautify a backyard.

Flowers, stones and grass are just some of the ways to
landscape a backyard. Large shade trees, waterfalls and herbal gardens
are some other ways. The theme of your landscape will depend on your
hobbies, interests and goals for your backyard. Backyard landscaping can
be a lot of fun, especially when you make it personal. Landscape your
yard to reflect your personality and your homes personality. If you and
your family like to entertain, add a bar to your back patio. Clean up
the barbeque grill and don’t forget the citronella candles to keep the
bugs away. Maybe you’ll want to build a croquet course, mini golf
course, or put in a sand lot for some sand volleyball. Whatever your
preference, make backyard landscaping fun for the whole family.

Keep
your family in mind too, when it comes time to maintain the backyard
landscaping. Large yards will require a lot more maintenance and
grooming. Taking care of the yard can be a nice family activity. You can
mow the lawn, pull the weeds and get the kids involved in watering the
plants. If you have a fruit tree in your backyard, you’ll probably be
spending some time picking up the fallen apples or cherries. And of
course, you’ll also need to reserve time to tend to your herbal garden.
It can be surprisingly rewarding to grow your own herbs and use them in
special recipes that you cook when you’re entertaining friends and
neighbors.

If
you are the type who would rather keep your backyard to yourself, then
maybe you don’t need to worry about the huge, green lawn. Perhaps you’d
rather have a quaint yard with basic backyard landscaping. You can put
in some grass, strategically place some shade trees and plant some of
your favorite flowers. You may want to include some bigger bushes, if
space allows as they will add some gorgeous green to your colorful
backyard. This type of backyard may require the same maintenance as a
large backyard, but not nearly the time commitment. No matter what your
personality says about your backyard landscaping, one thing’s for
sure-homeowners everywhere will tell you to create your backyard just
the way you want to.

Landscaping Supplies For Your Garden This Spring

Railwaysleeper.co.uk provide the landscaping trade with various mulches, wood chips and bark products along with landscaping oak, fencing materials, landscaping screws and more to make their creations just as they imagine. New railway sleepers, used or reclaimed railway sleepers can all work wonderfully to provide great bases for growing plant life.

Railways sleepers can be used in multiple ways for the garden, such as for raised borders, vegetable and flower beds, driveway and path edgings and soil retention.

Get Landscaping Supplies For Your Garden This Spring

We aim at offering you quality materials and guide you with timely delivery for all of your landscaping project needs. If you are looking to make a lovely garden for this spring, then why not buy from us? We specialise in landscaping supplies to enhance the design of your lawn and private grounds. By creating the perfect outdoor landscape not only will you give yourself a wonderful location to enjoy the weather in, but it can also enhance the overall appeal of your home which could consequently improve property value. So waste no more time in investing in landscaping supplies.

This spring brings plenty of new landscaping products here at Railway Sleepers UK. A wide and full range of timber fencing and landscaping supplies, structural green oak beams, air dried oak beams and almost everything that is required to finish your garden building or decking project. We produce in bulk to source new landscaping sleepers in almost every size and type including oak sleepers, larch sleepers, treated softwood sleepers and rustic round edged softwood sleepers.

Contemporary Landscaping Supplies And Railway Sleepers

You will have to adapt modern solutions for modern design gardens. Railway Sleepers UK hold a range of special railway sleepers to fit your entire garden requirement.

On the website you can view our Contemporary Landscaping and Garden Railway Sleepers collection that lists all the products available which are best suited to these kinds of projects. They include mini sleepers for raised beds, machined and moulded sleepers, complete kits to create your bespoke raised bed or herb boxes and more.

UK mainland delivery is available with for any order size. Alongside sleepers and general landscaping supplies, you can also order decking kits, oak beams and timber fencing.

Contact Railway Sleepers

Visit the website today and place your order for all the landscaping supplies you need. We are eager to give customers the best service and price match guarantees on a range of products.

For more information call +44 (0)1536 267107 or email: Website: www.railwaysleeper.co.uk

Ways to add aesthetic value to a garden through landscaping

A landscape can change your house a lot. Whether you just want to make some improvements or you want to sell it, through professional landscaping you will make everyone see your house differently. Creating a landscape is like adding value and beauty to your house. Also, when you come home from a long and exhausting day, you can relax in your garden, enjoying every piece of your yard.

Having a professional landscaping designer to take care of your garden will make everything easy for you. But of course, you need to do some research by yourself, because you will need to plan your landscape with the designer based on your wishes, on the design of your house and the money you can spend on this project.

Remember that you need to talk to your designer about everything you would like to have in your garden and make sure you do not forget anything. It is very important that the colors and the design of the landscape garden match your house. And do not forget the lights. Your garden must look beautiful even at night, so remember to tell your professional landscaping designer to put some lights along the pathways. Another important thing you need to have in mind with professional landscaping projects is not to focus mainly on the backyard. And make sure your designer does not forget the boundaries, or your garden will look disorganized.

Another thing that helps to add value and beauty to your garden is the colors of the flowers. It is known that colors influence your state of mind, so you must know a little bit about flowers and their colors, too. Red, yellow and orange are warm colors, so you can use them in your landscape project to attract anyone’s attention and to induce a state of optimism and vitality. The colors blue, purple and green are considered cool and have the power of relaxing and soothing the viewer. But if you create your landscape garden in order to meditate or read in a nice, special place, right in your own yard, you need to use white or blue flowers. For creating an intimate atmosphere, the perfect flowers are the yellow, orange or red ones.

Keep in mind, that flowers that are brightly colored, give the impression of physical proximity, even though they are plants in the back of the garden. If you consider all these things, your garden will be the way you have always wanted.