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Spring Tips to Keep Your Landscaping Vibrant in Long Beach

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Spring is finally here!

And with it comes bright new vibrant growth in our yards. To make sure your yard starts the season with the best chances of looking amazing for the rest of the year, there are a few things you need to take care of first. 

Today we will share our top 5 springtime tips to keep your Long Beach landscaping looking great.

Spring Cleaning

With so much rain coming down last season, there is undoubtedly some spring cleaning that needs to be done. Granted, a landscaping company can take care of the cleaning and maintenance for you, but if you have chosen a more “DIY” approach to your landscaping, it’s time to get your hands dirty.

This means eliminating unwanted weeds and plants that can affect your garden. Remove debris from your rain gutters and make sure they’re not leaking. Trim edges from grassy areas that border walkways to better define your landscape. You want to make sure your soil gets warmed up by the sun. This promotes better seed germination and overall landscape health.

Pruning and Clipping

Pruning your trees and shrubs has two main objectives. The first is removing dead or dying branches to allow the plant to grow healthy. The second reason is to maintain the desired shape of the plant. Some trees can benefit from heavier pruning every few years to promote more growth. If you’re unsure if your trees would benefit from more severe pruning, a knowledgeable landscaping company can always help.

Your lawn also needs to be trimmed, likely under 3 inches. Any taller grass stalks can rot due to too much moisture. Mowing low can also remove debris that accumulates during the winter. This exposes the soil to more sunlight which can help germinate grass seeds for the spring. But be weary, as this can also promote the growth of weed seeds.

Adding Nutrients

Spring is a great time to add more nutrients to your soil. This can be done with liquid or granular fertilizers or organic compost. The goal is to replenish nutrients in the soil that the plants need to grow. Though in a vegetable garden, you’ll want to add specific nutrients depending on the crops you plan to grow. 

Replenish the Mulch

This time of the year is an excellent opportunity to check on the mulch in your landscape. Mulch can slowly add nutrients to the soil as it decomposes, reduce water evaporation which helps conserve water, smother unwanted weeds, and can help retain warmth to help seeds germinate and grow. Ideally, you want a  layer that is 2 to 3 inches deep. If your mulch is lower than 2 inches, it’s time to add more.

Dethatching

Because lawns continue to grow yearly, many homeowners don’t realize that the grass eventually builds a barrier of thick organic matter made up of a buildup of interwoven decomposing and living grass shoots, stems, and roots. A thin layer of thatch is healthy for any lawn, but if your layer is over 2 inches thick, it may cause problems. It can make your property more susceptible to disease and environmental stress, making it more difficult to tolerate drought, cold, and heat.

How would you feel with a yard expressly designed to fit your unique home and personality?

Our staff is dedicated to delivering unique landscapes that 100% fit the needs of homeowners. Each yard is designed in-house by our landscape designer. Our expertise and experience in Long Beach, Lakewood, Seal Beach, Rossmoor & surrounding communities allow us to custom design the perfect landscape for you.

Our team of experts carefully manages your project. Fill out our Landscape Design request for your landscape to fit your aesthetic. Call us at (562) 225-9460 or get a free quote for your project.

Various,Flowers,And,Cactus,Plants,Inside,Nursery

Top Plants to Help in the Design of Your Long Beach Landscape

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When designing your ideal landscape, choosing the right plants can be difficult. It doesn’t have to be though, there are many plants native to our semi-arid climate that can thrive in your landscape. Though there are many different design themes you can choose from, there are often plants native to Long Beach that can help fulfill your design.

Different Design Themes

Every homeowner has different preferences when designating their ideal landscape. Some of the themes offered by MC Landscaping include:

  • Drought tolerant
  • Low Maintenance
  • Cottage Garden
  • Vegetable Garden
  • English Garden
  • Xeriscape
  • Contemporary
  • Modern
  • Mediterranean 
  • Water Wise
  • Tropical

Although each design can be made unique, they’re not mutually exclusive to each other, feel free to contact us if you have any ideas in mind.

Popular Plants used in Long Beach Landscaping

To help with designing your landscape we’ve gathered 7 of the top plants homeowners in Long Beach use to help design their landscape.

Aloe Vera

An incredibly robust and versatile plant, aloe vera can be used in a variety of themes including water wise, xeriscape, and tropical. It being a succulent plant, it can withstand severe droughts and it’s hearty enough to be planted on nearly any kind of soil.

Purple Tree Aeonium

Another succulent, the purple tree aeonium is often used as an accent plant due to it growing a wide rosette of dark green and purple leaves on long thick woody stems. The purple tree aeonium is often paired with other succulents that require similar water needs like the aforementioned aloe vera, as well as the lion’s tail and other succulents.

Fox Tail Agave

A water wise plant, the agave thrives in dry and arid locations. Often planted around entry points, around foundations, patios and swimming pools, the fox tail agave is a slow growing succulent that grows a large rosette atop a long curved trunk.

Golden Barrel Cactus

Nothing says water wise like a cactus. The golden barrel cactus is a plant that requires well draining soil as its roots can rot if left wet for too long. Used as an accent plant for its unusual shape the golden barrel cactus is best used around walkways, patios and raised planters.

Dymondia

A drought tolerant plant, dymondia grows in an incredibly dense mat that can be used to replace lawn grass all together. It produces a small yellow flower when it blooms and is also used to grow between stepping stones, and pavers.

Elfin Creeping Thyme

Though not having as great ground coverage as a dymondia, the elfin creeping thyme can spread quickly over the soil it’s planted on. Often used around walkways, fences and walls the elfin creeping thyme produces beautiful little purple flowers during the summer and can be used to flavor your foods.

Olive

Olive trees can provide shade to your patio, lawn or be used as an accent piece. While not requiring much water to grow, this tree can grow with multiple trunks and produce olives during the fall. Though fruitless varieties can also be purchased if you feel like dealing with the fruits can be too messy.

There are many other plants that can thrive in the Long Beach weather. The majority of the plants listed only require low to medium watering and can be a part of any design theme.

How would you feel with a yard expressly designed to fit your unique home and personality?

Our staff is dedicated to delivering unique landscapes that 100% fit the needs of homeowners. Each yard is designed in-house by our landscape designer. Our expertise and experience in Long Beach, Lakewood, Seal Beach, Rossmoor & surrounding communities allow us to custom design the perfect landscape for you.

Our team of experts carefully manages your project. Fill out our Landscape Design request for your landscape to fit your aesthetic. Call us at (562) 225-9460 or get a free quote for your project.

a jar full of coins

What is the Budget for Your Landscape Design?

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Designing your ideal landscape is a dream many homeowners have, especially first time buyers. However setting up a budget can be difficult to do if you aren’t going into the job prepared. There are many elements to consider when establishing a budget for your landscape including dimensions of the property, theme of your design and preparation of the land. A beautiful landscape goes farther than simply looks, it can contribute considerably to the curb appeal and add to the overall value of the property.

Join me as we breakdown key elements you need to consider when assessing your budget for your dream landscape design.

Inspecting and Preparation

Before you get started it’s a good idea to have your property surveyed and inspected. You’ll want to avoid any potential liability that needs to be fixed prior to having people begin work.  What you should be looking for are toxic plants, tripping hazards, and dead or dying trees. Other items to keep an eye on include: 

  • Erosion Issues
  • Poor Drainage
  • Poor Lighting
  • Damaged Fencing
  • Damaged Irrigation

The type of soil can affect the amount of preparation required as well. As an example if your soil is primarily clay based many vegetables and fruit trees have a difficult time growing. 

Walking through your property gives you a unique opportunity to see the dimensions of your yard as well as what existing features and plants you like and would like to reuse. Reusing elements from your existing landscape whether its plants, pavers, or  hardscape can go a long way in stretching your budget.

Choose a Theme

Once preparations are underway, you should begin to think of what kind of landscape you are looking for. You can make your own design from scratch or a theme as a starting point. We offer a variety of different landscaping themes to suit every need such as:

  • Contemporary
  • Drought Tolerant
  • Water Wise
  • Low Maintenance
  • Modern
  • Vegetable Gardens
  • English Gardens
  • Mediterranean
  • Tropical
  • Xeriscape

Keep in mind that some plants cost more than others, especially when trying to buy plants that arent in season. As for the hardscape, Importing rocks and other elements can be worth the investment but can be more costly than people realize.

We’ll meet with you to discuss your vision and landscaping needs. Once you’ve selected a theme our landscape designer can help you select everything else you’ll need including grass, irrigation, lighting, layout, plant selection and more.

Prioritize Needs, then Wants

Do you want to grow fruits and vegetables? You’ll need nutrient rich fertile soil and maybe a raised bed.

Do you want to conserve water during the dry seasons? Then you’ll need mulch and an irrigation controller.

The plants and trees you want may have individual needs. Depending on the plants you want to have, you may need to have an irrigation system to support your landscape design. It’s important to keep the necessary landscaping support in mind. Afterall, it’s easier to add more plants or stones to your landscape then it is to redesign everything because you didn’t prioritize the landscape’s needs.

Consult with a Landscaping Company

If there is anything you’re unsure of, talking with a landscaping company can help. That’s why they are the professionals, they should be able to give you estimates, and offer unique solutions to your problems. Oftentimes they may recommend a resolution that fits what you want and what your landscape design needs.

Landscaping companies can help you itemize the costs of your projects to better understand what your budget should look like. If you decide to forgo hiring a company keep in mind you’ll need to include the costs for permits, tool rental, and even fuel.

How would you feel with a yard expressly designed to fit your unique home and personality?

Our staff is dedicated to delivering unique landscapes that 100% fit the needs of homeowners. Each yard is designed in-house by our landscape designer. Our expertise and experience in Long Beach, Lakewood, Seal Beach, Rossmoor & surrounding communities allow us to custom design the perfect landscape for you.

Our team of experts carefully manages your project. Fill out our Landscape Design request for your landscape to fit your aesthetic. Feel free to call us at (562) 225-9460 or get a free quote for your project.

a person measuring turf

Front Lawn vs. Rear Yard, Should there be Cohesion in Landscape Design?

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Can your backyard and front lawn design be completely separate from each other?

Should your front yard have a similar design and theme to your backyard?

Landscape design is different for everyone. Some customers choose to have matching landscapes, others keep their front lawns focused on curb appeal, and their backyards are more personal. 

Today we’ll explore your options when designing your front lawn and backyard and how to add cohesion to landscape design while keeping both sides different.

Timing

Timing is vital when designing your landscaping. Not everyone can have work done on both the front lawn and backyard at the same time. This can add challenges, especially when trying to have matching landscapes. Depending on the season, some plants, trees, or grass may not look as lively or vibrant as the established plants.

Ideally, if you want to have your front lawn and backyard design match, you’ll want to get them done simultaneously. If this isn’t possible, understand that there may be some differences during the initial setup; however, after the plants become established in the hardscape, the cohesion of both yards should begin to match.

If you keep your designs different, you can work on the front of your house separately from the back with minimal issues. That’ll help you decide if you want to keep the backyard completely distinct from the front or if you want to introduce cohesion between the two.

Front Yard Design

Your front yard landscaping design doesn’t necessarily need to match your backyard. Many homeowners like to use their front yards to increase the curb appeal of their homes. A well-designed front yard should ideally highlight some of your home’s best features. Include a focal point or “hero plant” with supporting elements such as flower beds that complement the house’s color and lush hedges. Your front lawn should be welcoming and naturally guide visitors to the front door. This can increase the curb appeal and make your home stand out.

Backyard Design

While many see the front lawn, your backyard is a bit more private. You can design your backyard landscaping by hosting events, gardening, relaxing, and bird watching for those who love birds. This doesn’t mean your front and back yard don’t have to match either. There are many ways to make two completely different designs feel cohesive.

Bringing them Together

A simple way to keep cohesion between your front and back yards is by incorporating similar colors. Mulch is a common color element that ties the front lawn and backyard together, and flower beds and plants that produce similar-colored flowers are a great way to connect on both sides of your home. When flowers begin to bloom, the connection is more prominent. Using a similar hardscape can also bring cohesion. You share elements such as the same brick for walls and accents, decorative stones, or even a matching pathway to your front and back door. During the evening, a simple tip for bringing the front and back yards together is to illuminate typical hardscapes, features, and plants that are shared among both sides.

How would you feel with a yard expressly designed to fit your unique home and personality?

Our staff is dedicated to delivering unique landscapes that 100% fit the needs of homeowners. Each yard is designed in-house by our landscape designer. Our expertise and experience in Long Beach, Lakewood, Seal Beach, Rossmoor & surrounding communities allow us to custom design the perfect landscape for you.

Our team of experts carefully manages your project. Fill out our Landscape Design request for your landscape to fit your aesthetic. Feel free to call us at (562) 225-9460 or get a free quote for your project.

storm water retention system

Stormwater Retention Ideas as Part of Your Landscape Design

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Living in southern California there are often droughts and water shortages. This makes rain water a scarce resource that we should use more often. Many people have at some point considered catching the rain water but aren’t sure where to start. Afterall when it rains, it’s free water that your plants enjoy and is free. 

Unfortunately much of the rain water that isn’t absorbed by soil often evaporates and doesn’t get used. Amending your soil with compost or mulch can help it to retain more water but there is only so much before the soil becomes completely saturated. Today we’ll go over some suggestions and design elements on how to collect stormwater, save a bit of money and make use of this natural resource.

What is Stormwater Retention?

There is a myth that in southern California it was illegal to catch rainwater, but this can’t be further from the truth. Anyone can have stormwater retention on their property so long as the water you are collecting comes from your roof, no permit is required.

Areas such as Long Beach tend to get about 15 inches of rain on average every year. Much of the rainwater that lands on roofs or driveways results in runoff. Runoff water can collect pollutants that enter the city’s storm drain system which leads to larger bodies of water until it eventually reaches the ocean. Stormwater retention is a great way to conserve water, save money, and keep your plants looking vibrant. It may seem like installing a stormwater retention system is a drop in the bucket due to the infrequent rain we get, but it all adds up.

Designing a Stormwater Retention System

Stormwater retention typically begins with the gutter system that collects rainfall from your roof. Rain gutters are already a good investment as they protect your home’s walls and foundation from water erosion as it directs run off water to either a drain or the street. But why not collect this rainfall in a vessel like a barrel?

A simple solution to collecting stormwater from your roof is to simply put a barrel where your gutters drain. That’s all you really need to collect rainwater, however many people will agree that a large plastic barrel on the side of your home can not only be unsightly but take up quite a bit of space. 

On a 1,000 square foot roof, an inch or rain can give you about 600 gallons of water. Design choices to consider for collecting water from your roof include using seamless gutters which give a clean sleek look to the system and helps prevent leaks due to having less failure points. A leaf filter and a downspout fist flush filter should also be installed to prevent debris from being collected. Afterwards it’s a matter of hiding the plumbing that goes to your water collection vessel of choice.

You could then use this water to give your landscape a splash during the dryer days, and avoid any local water ordinances you may be subjected to in the future.

How would you feel with a yard expressly designed to fit your unique home and personality?

Our staff is dedicated to delivering unique landscapes that 100% fit the needs of homeowners. Each yard is designed in-house by our landscape designer. Our expertise and experience in the cities of Long Beach, Lakewood, Seal Beach, Rossmoor & surrounding communities allows us to custom design the perfect landscape for you.

Your project is carefully managed by our team of experts. Whether you are looking to turn your front yard into a showpiece or creating the backyard of your dreams we are here to help. Fill out our Landscape Design request for landscape to fit your aesthetic today. Feel free to call us at (562) 225-9460 or get a free quote for the project you have in mind.

hero-plant

Do You Want to Make any Particular Plant a “Hero” in Your Design?

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Many people, when designing their landscape, have a vision in mind. What they want their dream back or front yard to look like. Others know they want a change but have a hard time deciding on design elements or themes for their landscape. An excellent option for building a landscape is choosing a “Hero” plant. This is basically a focal plant that gives you an attractive visual entry point to your yard or garden.

Although choosing a “Hero” plant isn’t necessarily difficult, you should keep in mind how you can support this plant with either supporting plants, hardscape and other features. Join me as we go through these elements in order to help you design a visually appealing landscape.

What is a Focal Point?

In your landscape, a focal point refers to where you want to direct the eyesight of guests visiting your yard. Any feature in your garden that you deem striking can be used as a focal point. 

Unique, exotic or colorful plants can create an exciting point of interest if the supporting landscape follows more natural colors and smoother lines. Trees can give a sense of scale while providing unique textures to your garden. Dwarf shrubs or potted bonsai trees can create a bit of an optical illusion shifting the sense of scale to make your landscape seem bigger than it is. Simple sculptures or decorative potted plants and hardscapes can be used to stand out from the natural colors and shapes. Water features like a bird bath, pond or waterfall can also be used to draw both eyes and ears towards the sounds of water.

Choosing your “Hero” Plant

A hero plant is basically the focal point of your landscape. There are many options for a “hero” plant, this can be anywhere from a fancy plant that you build your landscape around to a particular plant that you are already growing, like a tree you grew from a seed.

A “hero” plant can also be a beneficial plant to your environment. Many environmentally conscious customers like the idea of having the focal point in their garden also aid with local wildlife, a plant, tree or shrub that not only looks spectacular but can also help local insects, and birds thrive. For example the California fuchsia with thin red flowers attracts hummingbirds when it blooms in summer and fall, or the California milkweed which blooms with a round cluster of small white, pink or lavender flowers and can host the iconic monarch butterfly among others.

Supporting your Focal Point

Now that you’ve selected a focal point for your landscape you need to support it. Ideally you want eyes to naturally gravitate towards the focal point. There are a few different ways to provide support. Following the rules of 3rds is a great way to get started. Imagine your landscape is a canvas, divide it into a 3×3 grid pattern. The focal point should be placed either in the left or right side of the grid but never the middle. The rule of 3rds gives your landscape more depth, and is more visually dynamic.

You can design your landscape to have walkways, hardscape, walls, or flower beds to guide your eyes towards your focal point. Don’t forget that at night, your landscape design can change depending on the amount of light available. Lighting can be used to emphasize focal points during evenings. A plant or tree can blend into the surroundings during the day, but once the sun sets can be the “hero” of your landscape.

How would you feel with a yard expressly designed to fit your unique home and personality?

Our staff is dedicated to delivering unique landscapes that 100% fit the needs of homeowners. Each yard is designed in-house by our landscape designer. Our expertise and experience in the cities of Long Beach, Lakewood, Seal Beach, Rossmoor & surrounding communities allows us to custom design the perfect landscape for you.

Your project is carefully managed by our team of experts. Whether you are looking to turn your front yard into a showpiece or creating the backyard of your dreams we are here to help. Fill out our Landscape Design request for landscape to fit your aesthetic today. Feel free to call us at (562) 225-9460 or get a free quote for the project you have in mind.

lawn painting

Paint Your Lawn to Be Water Conscious

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During fall and winter you may have spotted people painting either their lawns or golf courses  and wondered, what are they doing?

It’s very likely their lawns are beginning to show imperfections due to the changing seasons and are painting their grass to hide them. During the colder seasons, some landscaping companies offer their customers to paint their lawn. 

This isn’t just to hide brown spots and be water conscious but also to keep the appeal of a vivid green lawn during cold or dry seasons.

What exactly is lawn pain?

Unlike  automotive spray paint, which is toxic to plants and animals, lawn paint typically consists of 100% biodegradable pigments that coat the grass and can protect it from the changes in weather, or used to hide damage caused by pets, and pests.

Join me as we explore why homeowners are choosing to paint their lawns, and the benefits that come with it.

Benefits of Painting Your Lawn

Painting your lawn is a quick and easy solution that is typically used to hide imperfections in your lawn such as dog urine, dry patches or disease. 

If you are one of the many Californians that decided to use drought tolerant grass, you’ll know that during the autumn and winter seasons your lawn begins to go into a dormancy period where it looks like it’s dying. No matter how much you water it, it’s not going to continue to grow during this time. This is to be expected with drought tolerant grasses. 

If your grass isn’t the drought tolerant variety, painting your lawn can mitigate climate stress and discoloration temporarily, giving you more time to find a more permanent solution whether it’s to amend your soil, re sod, or re seed.

Painting your lawn doesn’t only affect how your lawn looks, but allows your home to look appealing year round. Maintaining curb appeal if you are interested in renting, selling or simply enjoy your landscape design.

Painting Your Lawn to Conserve Water

When you paint your lawn, you not only get the lush green desired color it can vastly reduce the use of your sprinkler system for the season. This’ll save you money on your water bill by avoiding unnecessary water run off. Though sprinklers can be a great tool to save time, traditional sprinkler systems aren’t as efficient at conserving water even when using automatic timers. Drip irrigation is better for conserving water, however water you don’t use is water you’ve conserved.

Lawn maintenance and care though economical can be time consuming. By having your lawn painted it can give you the freedom of time to find an appropriate solution instead of re-sodding the damaged area. Lawn paint lets you get the vibrant green you desire while fighting disease, pests or waiting for your drought tolerant grass to leave its dormancy period.

Should you Paint your Lawn?

If you are looking to save money, heal your lawn or conserve water, painting your lawn is definitely a great solution. There are plenty of do it yourself (DIY) options for lawn paint at your garden centers or home improvement stores if you prefer to do things hands on. Though if you’re not experienced, you’ll need to be careful as overspray can permanently stain. Hiring a professional service can result in little to no overspray which can keep your mind at ease.

An alternative option is to replace grass altogether. Native plants are accustomed to our Southern California weather and should thrive even during droughts. Alternatively you can opt for biodegradable, pet friendly artificial turf which never requires watering and will look lush and green year round. 

How would you feel with a yard expressly designed to fit your unique home and personality?

Our staff is dedicated to delivering unique landscapes that 100% fit the needs of homeowners. Each yard is designed in-house by our landscape designer. Our expertise and experience in the cities of Long Beach, Lakewood, Seal Beach, Rossmoor & surrounding communities allows us to custom design the perfect landscape for you.

Your project is carefully managed by our team of experts. Whether you are looking to turn your front yard into a showpiece or creating the backyard of your dreams we are here to help. Fill out our Landscape Design request for landscape to fit your aesthetic today. Feel free to call us at (562) 225-9460 or get a free quote for the project you have in mind.

fall lawn maintenance

Fall Tips to Keep Your Landscaping Looking Great in Long Beach

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Summer has ended and with it, it took the long warm days that many plants need to grow. Fall can still be a great time to enjoy your landscape as you can sit back and watch the leaves change color to reds and oranges. 

Just because plants tend to grow less during autumn, it doesn’t mean there is no work to be done. Today we’ll go through a few tips you should follow in order to keep your landscape looking beautiful even with the changing seasons.

Last Cut of the Year

Lawns tend to be one of the largest elements of any landscaping project, you should mow your lawn until it stops growing. During fall many drought tolerant lawns begin to go into dormancy and turn brown. If this is your first year experiencing this do not be frightened, this is normal. Cut your lawn short to prevent it from matting and being damaged by pests or diseases. 

If your lawn continues to grow throughout the year, consider keeping the grass a minimum of 3 inches tall so that it can better absorb sunlight.

Amend your Soil

Fall is the best time to amend your soil, as microfauna begin to break down your soil in both fall and winter. This organic matter then becomes available as a nutrient for plants to thrive in during spring. If you miss this opportunity, you can still amend your soil in spring though it’s best done during the fall.

Aerating your soil is season dependent. If your soil is compacted, fall is the best time to have it aerated professionally. This will allow hard soil to more easily absorb rain water, compost and other fertilizers you may be amending your soil with. 

If you are unsure with what to amend your soil, fall is a great time to get your soil tested. This test can determine what specific nutrients you need to grow your plants.

Check on your Mulch

During autumn, mulch will provide insulation and warmth to plant roots. Mulch allows for microorganisms to stay active longer in the colder seasons, and retains water better. This can allow your soil to retain its nutrients for longer.

For garden and flower beds that already have mulch, simply turning the mulch should be enough to provide its benefits during the fall. It will also give your garden and flower beds a fresh look without adding more mulch. Though you should replenish mulch every 3 to 5 years or whenever the layer of mulch is less than 2 inches thick.

Maintain your Hardscape

Pathways, fountains, rock and stones are best maintained during the fall. In the fall temperatures are more consistent throughout the day. Using sealant to fill in cracks and gaps may take a little bit longer to cure during cooler days, but you are less likely to see a failure point compared to summer days. 

Don’t forget that during the fall, your hardscape becomes more visible as leaves begin to pile on the ground. Keep up appearances by raking leaves from your landscape, fallen leaves can be unsightly. When wet, leaves can be incredibly slippery and cause an accident that can result in injury.

For the Bird Lovers

If you’re a lover of birds, autumn is the best season to set up bird feeders. Many migratory birds will migrate to Southern California during the colder seasons. With some luck you may spot some rare birds in your own backyard.

How would you feel with a yard expressly designed to fit your unique home and personality?

Our staff is dedicated to delivering unique landscapes that 100% fit the needs of homeowners. Each yard is designed in-house by our landscape designer. Our expertise and experience in the cities of Long Beach, Lakewood, Seal Beach, Rossmoor & surrounding communities allows us to custom design the perfect landscape for you.

Your project is carefully managed by our team of experts. Whether you are looking to turn your front yard into a showpiece or creating the backyard of your dreams we are here to help. Fill out our Landscape Design request for landscape to fit your aesthetic today. Feel free to call us at (562) 225-9460 or get a free quote for the project you have in mind.

english garden style

Types of Landscaping to Consider for Your Long Beach Home

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You’ve decided that you’re finally ready to get your landscaping professionally done. That’s great! Now it’s time for you to decide on what type of landscape you’ll want for your Long Beach home.

There are many types to choose from to fit the style and budget of anyone. As to not overwhelm you, today we’re going to go through the different types we offer at MC Landscaping. You can use this to choose the overall theme and style, or to incorporate some features when deciding your landscaping design.

English Garden Style

An English garden uses more geometric shapes like squares, rectangles and ovals to organize the different plants in the landscape. Its design style is to emphasize contrasts. An example is  you can have neatly trimmed hedges, but at the base there is a bed of wild flowers. This style attempts to use materials used to build the home like brick or stone to create garden walls, columns, ponds and other features. This makes the landscaping feel like an extension of the home, not just “the yard”. Ideally the plants you choose from should change along with the seasons. These require a great deal of maintenance to keep their aesthetic.

Organic Gardens

Organic gardens are ideal for homeowners concerned with sustainability, as well as staying away from chemical pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers. Organic garden landscaping creates and maintains a natural sustaining system where soil, plant nutrition and plant health is accomplished without the use of those chemicals.This type of landscaping uses an abundance of mulch, typically being topped off yearly. Without this layer of mulch, your soil can become dry which makes it difficult for some plants to naturally grow a strong root system. Mulch benefits the landscape in more ways than one, including feeding microfauna to keep your soil loose and healthy. 

Drought Resistant Landscaping

Unfortunately Southern California often suffers with droughts. To help conserve water and maintain beautiful landscaping, many homeowners have begun to design their landscapes to be drought resistant. This typically means removing many of the old dying plants and replacing them with plants native to your area or plants from areas with similar climates and conditions. A drought resistant lawn will still have the bright green grass so many love to see, though usually not year round due to a dormancy period though some choose to paint the grass during this period. Instead of letting plants dry up and die during times of water scarcity, a drought resistant landscape will provide plants that won’t mind the lack of water.

Oriental Landscape

Oriental landscapes have defining hardscape elements such as a bridge, archway or stone walkway. By design an oriental garden provides refuge filled with eastern mysticism. It is meant to be a place of both relaxation and movement. People should engage with an oriental landscape design by walking through different pathways leading to the different features. If budget allows oriental landscapes, a koi pond can be an option to add an authentic oriental experience.

Modern Landscape

With clean edges and a clean look the modern landscape is designed to fit a contemporary home or to contrast with a traditional rustic architecture. Modern landscaping is characterized by the use of sleek, smooth and refined stylings. Generally the modern style emphasizes the architecture and building material over the plants and trees. Stone, concrete, hardwoods and metals are used to shape a modern landscape design.

Tropical Landscape

 Tropical landscapes are meant to be lush, bright, and vivid. Plants such as bromeliads, orchids and hibiscus are often used in garden beds or containers for their bright colors. Large leaved plants  like elephant ear or birds or paradise provide large areas of coverage like a tropical jungle. Due to tropical landscaping being filled with different plants, decor is often overlooked. Decorative stones not only provide a different texture to the abundance of plants, they retain heat which is helpful in regulating temperatures for some tropical plants. Tropical landscapes are also great environments for birds to come and visit, if you are a lover of birds a birdbath can be a great addition to a tropical landscape.

How would you feel with a yard expressly designed to fit your unique home and personality?

Our staff is dedicated to delivering unique landscapes that 100% fit the needs of homeowners. Each yard is designed in-house by our landscape designer. Our expertise and experience in the cities of Long Beach, Lakewood, Seal Beach, Rossmoor & surrounding communities allows us to custom design the perfect landscape for you.

Your project is carefully managed by our team of experts. Whether you are looking to turn your front yard into a showpiece or creating the backyard of your dreams we are here to help. Fill out our Landscape Design request for landscape to fit your aesthetic today. Feel free to call us at (562) 225-9460 or get a free quote for the project you have in mind.

landscape sprinklers

How Your Sprinkler Design is Critical to Supporting Your Landscaping Vision

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When designing your landscape, the sprinkler system is going to be what makes sure your plants get the required water as efficiently as possible. Although in the past yards would be designed with a few sprinkler heads that spray water in an area for a few minutes, now we know there are better ways of doing things.

Today we’ll go through a number of things to keep in mind when designing the sprinkler system to support your landscaping vision for years to come.

Zones

When you speak with our designers, they will mention landscape zones. This is a term used to separate portions of the landscape such as your lawn, garden or potted plants. Zones are used to determine specific areas and how they are supposed to be irrigated. 

For example your lawn will require a different volume of water compared to a vegetable garden. If you were to use the same amount of water for both you could over water and drown plants in one zone while a different zone remains too dry. By separating your landscape through different zones you can use an irrigation controller to make sure each zone gets the perfect amount of water. This will help your lawn and plants to thrive while conserving water.

Types of Irrigation

In order for your landscape to look great and grow throughout the years you’ll need to water it. There are no exceptions. You can choose to do the watering yourself with a hose however, every zone may require different watering needs. Although watering a vegetable garden can be calming for some, many people don’t have the luxury of time to water their entire lawn. 

To solve watering issues there are a couple of popular options for irrigation that can be used in different zones to fulfill different watering needs.

Lawn Sprinkler System

This is the classic go to system many people use to water their lawns. Although it is no longer the most efficient form of irrigation, it’s still a great option when you need to water a large area such as a lawn. During hotter seasons it’s best to use sprinklers either early in the morning or in the evening after the sun has gone down to reduce water loss to evaporation.

Drip Irrigation System

Less is more with drip irrigation systems. With drip irrigation water slowly drips through irrigation tubing allowing you to fine tune how much water plants will receive. Due to tubing often being shaded by the plant or mulch, there is little evaporation even during the hottest days.

Irrigation Controller

An irrigation controller is used to regulate how much water is being used for each zone of your landscape. Though there are a few options you have for controllers as well. 

Smart Controller

Smart controllers are relatively new to the market, but have shown that being able to be controlled by a smartphone or tablet is convenient and efficient. By allowing them to connect to the internet, they can access meteorological databases, have sensors built into the controller or both to ensure efficient watering of your property. 

Smart controllers like the Rachio 3 can be purchased with 4 -16 different zone counts to allow for flexible irrigation tailored to your yard. 

Standard Irrigation Controller

Simple, yet cost effective, standard controllers are typically used when installing basic sprinkler systems. These controllers can use local weather conditions to regulate the amount of water used when you turn on the sprinkler system. Or may have a setting for seasonal adjustments allowing you to increase watering during summer and reduce watering during winter.

Battery Operated Controller

With many of the same features as standard irrigation controllers, battery operated controllers give you the freedom of having the controller installed without the need of a power source. Many come with small solar panels to recharge the internal battery. While others can function without issues for up to 3 years with two AA batteries.

How would you feel with a yard expressly designed to fit your unique home and personality?

Our staff is dedicated to delivering unique landscapes that 100% fit the needs of homeowners. Each yard is designed in-house by our landscape designer. Our expertise and experience in the cities of Long Beach, Lakewood, Seal Beach, Rossmoor & surrounding communities allows us to custom design the perfect landscape for you.

Your project is carefully managed by our team of experts. Whether you are looking to turn your front yard into a showpiece or creating the backyard of your dreams we are here to help. Fill out our Landscape Design request for landscape to fit your aesthetic today. Feel free to call us at (562) 225-9460 or get a free quote for the project you have in mind.

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