Clean up and prepare for winter by doing the following:

-Rake up old leaves. They are known to cause mold and fungus to grow, especially in planting beds and grass.

-Secure evergreens to prepare for inclement weather. Harsh wind can wreak havoc on them!

-Prune everything that may have a problem dealing with heavy snow. Snow drags down branches, making them brittle. In worst cases, they won’t survive the winter.

-Use burlap to cover sensitive plants, bushes, and trees that have the potential of being damaged by wind or snow.

-Winterize your irrigation system. This will save you thousands if a freeze bursts your pipes!

-Winterize your water feature if it needs it. Or, if you prefer, install heaters to keep your water feature or pond from freezing completely over.

If you have specific questions or would rather hire a professional landscape company to winterize your yards or garden, contact the specialists at The Landscape Design Center. If you plan to visit the Annapolis Mall around the holidays, stop by and see them at their garden. They’ll be there every weekend leading up to the Christmas holiday and are more than happy to answer questions and offer landscape advice. They’d love to meet you, so make sure you stop by and say hello!

For more information, tips and tricks, check out their website: http://thelandscapedesigncenter.com.

Plants help protect the inside of your home in several ways. If you place them in front of windows, as you should they protect the contents of your home by blocking the view of the inside of your home. If the only thing that outsiders can see is plants, they will assume that there is nothing of value inside your home. Also, by placing plants close to windows, the sun will shine through the window to the plants creating more oxygen in the home and creating solar energy to heat the home with. This will help you save on your overall heating bill.

Because the fall and winter months are approaching, it is important that you bring in any plants that you may be concerned about dying during the winter. You should bring in all plants before the first frost. If a plant gets frost bitten, then it can kill the plant and prevent it from coming back the next year. You can dig up bulbs as well as bring in any hanging plants that might die.

If your plants end up growing too large while inside the home at an even temperature, you can always clip them and plant them in another pot as a new plant. If you accumulate too many of them, you can always give them away as gifts for others. There are several plants that you can keep in your home that have medicinal properties such as aloe vera plants, and several herbs that you can grow inside the home.

Plants are a huge part of our lives whether we know it or not. Without them, we have no clean air to breathe.

Also, don’t forget to check out these events coming up!

Maryland Avenue Fall Fest!  September 18th! 10am-5pm.  Live music, face painting, and wonderful vendors!

Edgewater Fall Festival!  October 1st.  Live music, face painting, pumpkin painting, pumpkin bowling, and wonderful vendors (like us!).

1st Sunday Art Festival!  October 2nd.  Live music, face painting, pumpkin painting, pumpkin bowling, and wonderful vendors (like us!).

Oktoberfest!  October 2nd.  Live music, beer, yummy food and wonderful vendors (like us!).

How can Home Renovation Help to Lower Stress?

Vacations introduce their own stress. First, there is the planning and trying to book airfare and accommodations with an eye to the budget. After arriving at the destination, there are more choices to make regarding recreation and not exceeding the spending limits. If it is a new destination there is the extra stress of not wasting a moment of this precious time.

A home renovation, however, can change the way a family looks at life on a daily basis. Imagine returning home from work each day to a yard where something is always in bloom. Meals and moments of relaxation can be enhanced with an outdoor dining room set in stone and surrounded by some of nature’s most beautiful and aromatic plants. A water feature in the newly designed garden can offer a perfect place for romantic evenings or practicing yoga postures. The entire family, not to mention the value of the home, will benefit from the addition of inviting green spaces.

 The Landscape Design Center can help make all this a reality. Design packages are custom prepared, because each yard is different, and clients are always a part of the process. And best of all, home renovation will not cost nearly as much as a great vacation. Most mortgage holders are required by law to offer refinancing for renovations, and that means the interest is entirely deductible. Vacations can be a lot of fun, but a home renovation can add joy and beauty to life every day of the year.

It is hard to generalize for every place on the earth, but chances are if the weather is warming and the grass is green, weeds are poking through the earth and taking up all the extra space in the dirt. Weeds like crabgrass, dandelions, morning glory, poison ivy, and pig weed are just some that appear relentlessly every year.

And all those weeds quickly become such an annoyance, so it must be understandable that action will be taken to rid the soil of weeds. The development of chemical products to control or kill natural things began as an impressive and effective way to manipulate what grows and what doesn’t, but has grown into a vast environmental concern.

The chemical warfare against weeds uses herbicides to quickly kill massive amounts of weed. It is often overlooked, however, that these herbicides destroy more than just weeds: they destroy our drinking water, chemicalize our food, and harm the earth.

“RoundUp”, perhaps the most popular herbicide, claims to be the most environmentally-friendly weed killer, promoting itself as “safer than salt”. Studies of the product have proven not only that this is a faulty claim, but that the extensive use of this product has caused other unseen changes.

“RoundUp” is used not only by household gardeners, but is employed in bulk by farmers. The food sold at any local grocery store may have originated from a farm where herbicide was use, causing a build up of unnatural and toxic chemicals that we eat without second thought.

To add to the problem of toxicity in the soil and in our bodies, every time an herbicide is sprayed it potentially pollutes water. Herbicides have the highest potential for ground and surface water pollution, and as water flows it caries the chemicals with it.

The solution: organic sprays are available for use and work just as well as herbicides, without the damage. Even more popular – and cheaper – is the use of vinegar, which kills weeds any without pollution. Corn meal can also be mixed with soil to not kill weeds, but prevent them from sprouting.

Flowering herbs can add visual appeal to any garden. Herb and vegetable garden design can be fun and creative. The first step is to plot out the area where the garden bed is going to be located. Once the spot is chosen, scale it out on paper to size. Make sure to leave plenty of room for mowing, walking, fences and lighting. Using raised beds can improve water flow through the soil and allow the soil to stay warmer in cooler seasons.

Explore which plants grow well together and what plants do not. Some plants complement another and this is called companion planting. Some plants can be planted while it is still cool while others like it to be warmer. Plants can be staggered throughout the season. A soaker hose running through the garden bed will water the roots where it is needed without damaging the leaves of some plants. Crop rotation helps some crops to grow better. Some plants put nutrients in the soil while others take nutrients from the soil.

Many plants do well in containers and containers save space in the garden. Herbs do well in containers and plants that typically spread out do well in containers and save on space in the garden bed. Small trellises can be used in large containers for tomatoes or cucumbers. Containers can also be used to decorate a deck or walkway.

Alternative insecticides are recommended for control of pests. Chemical pesticides are harmful to the environment and stay on the plant which in most cases is not washed off. The benefits of alternative insecticides are less damage to the environment and less toxic to nontarget organisms. Botanical insecticides work very well and are plant derived.

There are many alternative herbicides to control weeds in the garden. The use of clove oil mixtures, acetic acid and soap based herbicides dehydrated the leaves of weeds. There are many organic herbicides to choose from. The timeline of planting herbs and vegetables occurs over a two month span depending on what veggies are chosen. Cool weather plants and be planted mid March to the first of April. Tender plants need to wait until the soil has warmed considerably around the first to middle of May. Raised beds will be warmer than cultivated in the ground.

Check out our Upcoming Festivals here!

Rain barrels can be small and portable or large, built-in tanks that collect runoff water from places like gutters and roofs. The top of the barrel is covered with a screen to keep out dirt, debris, and insects. Water from the barrel can be accessed through a spigot, tap, or hose, depending on the type of barrel purchased. Rain barrels are sold in sizes ranging from 34 to 300 gallons. The necessary size can be determined by using a rainwater yield table such as the table found at http://rainwater.sustainablesources.com/#table3.0. As the chart indicates, hundreds of gallons of usable rainwater runoff can be collected from just one rainy day!

Rain gardens are gardens built in a depression, which allows runoff from roofs, roads, and other built up areas to be directed towards the garden. Although the water will not be saved for later use, as is the case with rain barrels, rain gardens allow for an easier and efficient, natural watering method.

A landscaper can help you determine whether a rain barrel or rain garden will fit your rain harvesting needs. Landscapers can also install a rain barrel, or design and plant a rain garden. The type of plants, size, and depression needed to create a successful rain garden are precise and dependent on the climate where you live, so it’s best to employ a landscaper to help ensure a beautiful and functional rain garden.

Interested in learning more about harvesting rainwater? Check out the festivals coming up! http://thelandscapedesigncenter.com/about.html#calendar

“Thank you for the incredible job of lawn maintenance you do for us every year; it has made such a difference over the years. As your designs continue to mature, our yard just keeps getting better. This year, our home has been amazing thanks to your designs and maintenance. Kudos to your maintenance crews – they keep us looking fantastic.”
-Davis

“Thanks for being so patient with our requests. It’s been great working with you and look forward to future endeavors once we finish up with our remodeling project. Thanks again.”
-Davis

 ”Many thanks. It’s Beautiful.”
-Holingsworth

“Dear Ana, Thank you so much for all your work – we (and the neighbors) love it! Your company’s men treat our yard as if it were their own – the results are beautiful – come again.”
-Thornburg

 ”Ana, Everything looks great! Thanks!”
-Buchanan

“This unsolicited note of commendation is written to express my appreciation for the excellent performance of “Alex”, “Rafael”, “Rolando”, and “Ana” (members of the Landscape Design Center) who recently completed a landscaping project at my home. After a brief discussion of work to be performed, the above crew commenced work on schedule and successfully performed the agreed upon tasks in a professional manner.
You are to be commended for having workers of this high quality in your organization.”
(Alex, Antonio R., Rolando, Ana)
-Ferguson

Job Site Recycling
All extra material and debris is removed from all job sites. We take the debris back to our property where it is separated into different materials. Concrete goes in one pile, fill dirt in another, reusable top soil in another, and finally, wood. Wood, brick, and stone in good condition is kept and reused for applicable landscaping jobs. Other materials that can still be used are donated to the public.

Office Recycling
Although we have tried to make our office as paperless as possible, a true paperless office is a fiction. When dealing with customers and some vendors, paper comes into our office in greater quantities than we would like. We eliminate the printing of useless faxes by having all incoming faxes come into a computer digitally. We can then view and print only what is necessary. If scrap paper is reusable, it gets turned into message pads and note pads. Bills and invoicing is done electronically through email; paper invoices are used only on request. We pay our own bills online whenever this option is possible. In addition, we recycle all of our computer ink cartridges. Old electronic equipment is donated to local community centers, and when unwanted, taking to electronic recycling centers.

Shop Recycling
Going green in the shop was one of our most difficult endeavors, but we are so happy to have completed the recycling programs in this part of the business so we can be a totally green company. Part of process was making employee recycling mandatory. All of our employees are required to recycle not only work-related materials, but also, all personal materials.

“The place looks incredible! I can’t believe it! I had my Mom come over to see the transformation. She couldn’t get over how fantastic the yard looks-and she loved the bricks by the shed. She wasn’t expecting the sod! But really, the work is incredible! All the work is finally coming together and looks great. You and your guys take the extra time and effort to pull the quality and whole image to perfection. Everything is better than I ever expected. Thank you all for everything!”
And…
“You guys really have gone the extra mile. Not only do I appreciate it, it shows in the final product. I was telling my Mom how most places would just have placed square steppers but your group cut them to soften the look and give it a professional look. Also, things you didn’t have to do like shaping the hill by the stairs and hole so the slope around the stairs looks like a natural level, rather than having the steppers “floating” out there looking out of place. Those attentions to detail and little extras wouldn’t be done by most companies. Please use anything you need for your portfolio. I am beyond impressed with your group!”
For William, Rogelio, Tom, Gilmar
~Roche

Giddings Avenue between Ridgely Avenue & Annapolis Street

We’ve put together a special day for Mom at Annapolis’ Newest & Hippest Market that celebrates LOCAL and GREEN! (Won’t Mom be proud!)

With Free Market Bags for Mom – Sponsored by PNC Bank And complimentary flowers and handmade soaps from Galena Blooms!

All at Annapolis’ newest & hippest Market featuring 30+ vendors offering the Full Spectrum of GREEN!

Produce, Plants & Local Foods!

Green Businesses, Products & Services!

Eco-Friendly & Upcycled Craft & Art!

Vintage, Repurposed & Recycled Furnishings & Accessories! With an emphasis on local vendors & businesses!

Here’s another opportunity to support our Community!

Shop Whole Foods Market in Annapolis on MAY 5. They are donating 5% of their sales to Annapolis’ Lighthouse Shelter

Meet Our May Vendors!

See All Our Vendors at homegrownandgreen.com

Find us on Facebook

• A Touch of Class Jewelry
• Bread by Magnolia Caterers & Art by Jimmy Reynolds
• Randy Berry Jewelry
• Bon Vivant Antiques
• Callinectes Antiques & Oriental Rugs
• Cedarwood Soaps
• Chesapeake Estate Services
• Crispens Farms & Greenhouses
• Cross the Street Vintage & Repurposed Furnishings
• Charlie Dodge Vegetables & Bicycle Part Clocks & Lamps
• E-Clipse Designs
• Earth Alley
• Eve’s Cheese
• Freedom Bakery
• Fulton’s Wood & Crafts
• Galena Blooms
• Global Baskets
• Grand Paws Pet Salon & Spa
• Jacqueline Handley Designs
• The Landscape Design Center
• LMB Antiques
• Lotus Therapeutic Massage
• Love Struck Country Crafts
• Melting Down Creations
• Moonloops
• Nesting Magazine
• Cem Ozkok Old World
• PaperdreamerAltered Art
• Peruvian Trend
• She’s Crafty: recycled jewelry by Jenny Hontz
• Sparkles N Stones
• Taylor’s Turnings
• Twin Pixie Studios
• Uptown Redesigns
• Wimsey Cove Framing & Art

PLUS FREE FACE PAINTING BY CRYSTALOONEYS!

Bring the family & the dog and come spend the day in the charming neighborhood of West Annapolis’ independent locally-owned retail shops, eateries, art gallerys, antiques shops, salons and spas, and specialty services – home to the West Annapolis Art & Antique District , representing 15 different businesses!