News – Page 8 – American Landscape

The Best Milwaukee Landscape Design Trends For 2018

January 15, 2018/in News, Landscape Design/by American Landscape

With a new year upon us, we took some time to research 2018 Milwaukee landscape and design trends. And our top five picks are intended to bring both style and serenity to your home.

We noticed one very strong theme in all our research, and it may not come as a much of a surprise to you, considering many of us are simply looking for a little bit of respite. Next year, even landscaping and design trends are going to lean hard into peace and tranquility.

So, let’s raise a glass to that: May 2018 be our year of peace, even along our garden paths. Here’s a look at some of the best ideas to help you get there.

Forest Bathing

Japanese gardens often provide the greatest levels of tranquility. You can all but feel the peace humming through the air. And, in 2018, many Americans will be embracing shinrin-yoku, or forest bathing. That simply means going for a walk in the forest to bathe yourself in soft streams of sunlight and nature’s sweet embrace.

At your Milwaukee home, this could mean planting thick rows of trees, shrubs, and flowers along a gorgeous stone path. Maybe you’ll even add a jewel to this crown in the form of a small, arched bridge.

Zen Garden

One of our favorite design trends that is coming in strong in 2018 is the zen garden. So, guess where your forest bathing could take you: To a small zen space that leads to a relaxing water feature. A zen garden typically boasts smooth stones and a gorgeous array of sweet succulents.

Can you imagine a mini-waterfall at the end of your shinrin-yoku? Your morning routines could morph from huge gulps of coffee to huge gulps of fresh morning air.

Meditation Garden

If this is where 2018 is headed, we’re totally on board. What do you say we let 2018 be our best year yet?

A meditation garden could help each of us embrace the fine art of simplicity. Perhaps you’ll put your meditation garden beside your zen garden. All you’ll need is a gorgeous stone bench and some soft, ornamental grass to sway softly in the breeze.

If your early mornings are going to include some mind-changing meditation, you might want to face your garden east so you can drink in the morning light.

Grow Your Own Protein

What goes hand in hand with a healthy mind? A healthy body! And we can help you get there with your very own protein-based garden. This includes edamame, broccoli, spinach, kale, quinoa, and more.

And while you’re focusing on your proteins, why not round this all out with a full-scale vegetable garden? If organic is key, why not entrust this to your own two hands? Juicy tomatoes, cabbage, and plenty of herbs could be found right outside your own front door.

With a little design work and some careful planning, you can watch your very own garden spring to life.

Design Trends to Bring You Peace

We invite you to take a look at our design and construction process.

You’ll see we specialize in softscapes for your shinrin-yoku, hardscapes for your meditation garden, and sustainable landscapes designed to bring synergy between your Milwaukee garden and available resources.

Even after the job is done, we’ll still be posting resources for you, including our new tree, shrub, and perennial guide. So, give us a call today at 262-252-4260. We’ll help you design your 2018 around waterfalls of peace and happiness.

Autumn Lawn Treatment Checklist for Milwaukee

December 10, 2017/in News, Lawn Care/by American Landscape

Autumn is here. So, what are you doing to prepare your lawn for the cooler months? When you live in a region where the weather gets cold, it’s important to have some type of fall lawn care plan. For instance, the frequency of mowing your lawn and how you manage your plants will all change. But, if this is your first time taking care of your lawn on your own, it’s not too late to learn.

Read on for some top tips for autumn lawn treatment.

Find Out What Type of Grass You Have

What most homeowners hate about fall and winter is the idea of losing their plush, green lawns. You worked hard all spring and summer to grow your lawn to what it is today, and don’t want to lose it over the winter. You can maintain it, however, by learning proper autumn lawn treatment based on the type of grass you have.

For instance, if you have warm-season turf grass, then it won’t fare well in Milwaukee. In fact, these are preferred in the South. Cool-season turfgrasses tend to thrive in colder weather. Some examples include ryegrass, Kentucky bluegrass, the fescues, and bentgrass.

Whatever the type of grass you have, you should use the following tips:

Get rid of broadleaf weeds using herbicides.
Test your soil and adjust the pH level accordingly.
Remove thatch from your lawn by raking.
Remove leaves with a rake or leaf vacuum.
Perform regular maintenance on your lawn equipment.

Adjust the Height of Your Lawn Mower

Grass still grows during autumn, but just not as quickly for warm-season grasses. However, if you have cool-season grasses, then there’s no need to adjust the height of your lawnmower. You can increase the height by a 1/2 inch. Then, to minimize the amount of work you have to do (such as picking up grass clippings), you can wait until your lawn grows between 3 in. to 3 1/2 in. tall.

Other tips include:

Avoid mowing your lawn more than 1/3 of the leaf surface.
Leave small amounts of grass clippings on your lawn. They’re actually good for the lawn, since they provide nutrients to your grass.

Following this philosophy will ensure you’re not leaving behind a large bulk of clippings. And, in a sense, it’s like mowing and fertilizing your lawn at the same time!

Get Rid of the Dead and Dying Plants

Autumn isn’t the best time to prune your plants since it will only encourage them to grow. At this time of year, your plants should be dormant. However, you still want to maintain a neat appearance, which you can do by removing dead annuals, lightly pruning your dying tree and shrub branches, and carefully removing any blossoms from hydrangea. As you do so, avoid removing dead stalks because this is where new buds will sprout during the spring.

Get Professional Autumn Lawn Treatment

Fall is when your yard work should come to a halt. However, if you want to keep your landscape looking great all year, then certain tasks must be done.

If you’d rather enjoy your lawn than work on it, we can help. At American Landscape, we offer seasonal lawn maintenance services. So, our pros can work on your yard throughout the entire year or at specific times of the year. Contact us today to learn more about our services and to see how we can maintain your lawn this fall!

When to Call a Tree Care Service in Menomonee Falls

November 26, 2017/in News, Tree Care/by American Landscape

You might not know it but a landscaper and an arborist serve different purposes. For instance:

A landscaper deals with trimming bushes, mowing lawns and hardscaping.
An arborist specializes in tree care. They are even certified by the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA).
A skilled arborist will help you trim, plant, and remove trees safely. They also specialize in recognizing diseases that affect the health of your trees.

Trees are our greatest outdoor assets and deserve proper tree care service. Calling the right company will make all the difference. The people of Menomonee Falls deserve expert care and professionalism!

Tree Care Service Treats Common Issues

Trees are a life-giving force in our communities, but sometimes they do fall ill. Weakening limbs are not seen on the exterior and can be a safety issue to you and your family. It is best to schedule regular visits to maintain a safe environment.

Pests and Diseases

A beautiful natural environment surrounds Menomonee Falls. But, that natural environment can lead to unwanted guests. For instance, many of us have seen the damage first hand. The Emerald Ash Borer, an Asian beetle, has been affecting ash trees in the area for over 10 years. Luckily, a professional administering emamectin benzoate can protect trees from Emerald Ash Borers for up to two years.

If you see spots or dead areas on leaves, you can first identity the disease by following our helpful guide, but a professional eye is always recommended to be certain.

Cutting Down a Tree

It is not recommended for any inexperienced party to cut a tree down. There is a significant safety risk caused by falling branches and equipment misuse.

Also, it is critical that professionals and non-professionals alike never attempt to cut down a tree without the proper equipment. Between 2009 and 2015 there have been 580 tree trimming related fatalities. That’s an alarming rate that is 3 times more than any other industry, and many of these fatalities are due to inexperienced individuals using improper equipment.

There are no Federal safety standards governing the tree care service business. And while the ISA has created voluntary standards to help protect those in the field, they are neither mandatory nor enforceable. This is why it is important to rely on someone who knows what they are doing.

A Tree for Every Climate

Not all trees survive in every climate. In order for a tree to thrive, it’s important to know what conditions it can endure. A local arborist understands the nuances of the seasons and weather patterns, so they can help you with this. Also, an arborist understands that there are several topics to consider when purchasing a tree. For example:

Height: Will the tree run into anything when fully grown?
Canopy spread: Is there room for the tree to branch out?
Deciduous or evergreen: Will the tree lose its leaves?
Fruit: Will there be falling fruit? (Falling fruit can be hazardous on public walkways.)
Tree needs: What are the tree’s soil, sun, and moisture requirements?
Hardiness: Can the tree withstand the full swing of the seasons?

Often times we make tree selections based on looks. While that’s very important, the health of the tree should be the top priority.

Expert Tree Care Service

We are masters in tree care and arboreal services and have been serving Milwaukee and Southeast Wisconsin since 1973. We understand the specific challenges of the Wisconsin climate and which trees can thrive here. Contact us on our website or call us at (262) 252-4260 to get your tree care service started!

Why You Should Leave Stump Grinder Operation to the Experts

November 19, 2017/in News/by American Landscape

There are many wrong and dangerous ways to remove a tree stump. So, you should be looking for a professional stump grinder service to rid your yard of tree stumps. It’s not an easy job. Plus, the operation of dangerous power tools without proper training can lead to serious injuries.

Here are some good reasons why you should leave stump grinder operations to the professionals.

It’s Cheaper to Hire a Professional Stump Grinder Service

If you want to remove a stump by yourself, you’ll have to buy or rent the equipment yourself. And the specialist tools you’ll need can be very expensive. In fact, it’s likely to be more expensive than hiring a landscaping service in the first place.

Professional landscaping services undertake stump grinding jobs nearly every day. So, they already have the equipment on hand, as well as all the necessary safety gear. This means it’s actually often much cheaper to hire a professional who knows how to put the equipment to good use. So, why would you ever bother doing the hard work yourself?

We Know What the Common Problems Are

Removing a stump may seem easy, but it’s more complicated than many people think. For example, not many people are really aware how deep certain tree roots can go. And some people try to use inappropriate methods like burning the stump, which aren’t very effective.

We know how to properly remove tree stumps, however, so we destroy roots to the extent that they can’t cause problems in the future. By doing this, we make sure that subsequent landscaping is unaffected.

Don’t Put Yourself at Risk

We don’t just know all the problems and challenges when removing a stump. We know how to stay safe when dealing with stump grinder equipment. Our team is fully trained to use tools which are potentially dangerous. And because we know the dangers, we recommend that if you aren’t appropriately trained, you don’t attempt to grind the stump yourself.

We safety assess all our jobs and know how to work through challenges safely. For example, when there are several tree stumps grouped together, they can be much harder to deal with than a single stump.

We’ll Remove the Waste

Once your tree stump has been ground up, you’ve still got to get rid of all the shredded waste. This will only add to your costs because your local dump is going to charge you by the cubic yard for garden waste disposal.

We’ll clean up, leave your garden nice and tidy, and take the waste away. We can even neatly fill in the stump hole(s) we’ve left behind and cover it with new turf. So, you’ll have nothing left to think about except what to do with your newly reclaimed patch of garden.

Have Your Tree Stumps Removed Today

We are accomplished landscape managers with hundreds of stump removal jobs under our belts. Contact us today to arrange a stump removal appointment. Our friendly team can also offer suggestions for what to do with the land once it’s been freed up, such as developing a beautiful new landscaping approach for your lawn or garden!

Let a Snow Removal Company Keep You Safe this Winter

November 12, 2017/in News/by American Landscape

Milwaukee and Wisconsin aren’t the only places it snows. Did you know that it has actually snowed as far south as Miami, San Diego, and Hawaii?

In areas where heavy snowfall is a normal part of life, it is important to handle snow removal in a proper manner. Being careless and doing all your snow removal yourself can cause serious injuries. This is why you should consider hiring someone to help you out. Keep reading for five key reasons you should hire a snow removal company.

A Snow Removal Company Helps to Avoid Injury

Shoveling snow is often people’s least favorite part of winter. And it’s not just unpleasant. Removing snow is dangerous and leads to injuries such as shoulder and back strain. In fact, there were over 3,000 visits to the emergency room due to injuries from snowblowers in 2012 alone! Also, overexertion is common. The most common physical injuries include bumps, bruises, cuts, and broken bones.

For many, avoiding injury is the number one reason to hire a snow removal company. Professional snow contractors are experts at clearing snow and ice patches that are slippery. Using professionals to remove snow will give you peace of mind for your home and your business, so you can enjoy the winter without worrying that somebody will accidentally slip on your property.

Specialized Equipment

When people try to remove snow on their own, they usually have a shovel or basic snow blower. A snow removal company will come with high-quality equipment to speed up the process. Having a professional company with effective equipment is especially important in areas that get a lot of snow. Often in these areas, it is impossible to keep the snow removed without a snow removal service.

Avoid Losing Income

While you may think you are saving money by doing all the shoveling yourself, you are wrong. Hiring a company will help you avoid losing money and employee absences. The costs in not hiring professionals are often hidden. For instance, when snow builds up, both customers and employees will struggle driving and parking at your business. Hiring a snow removal service will ensure that you will have ample parking for everyone once the roads become safe.

Know the Job Will Be Complete

We all know that sometimes shoveling doesn’t get done when we ask a family member. Sometimes things just come up, like family emergencies or work meetings. If you hire a snow removal company, however, you can always know that the job will get done. Using professionals means your surface lot or landscaping won’t be damaged in the process because your contractors will have years of experience.

Hiring a professional company will also leave you with a less stressful morning after an unexpected snowfall.

Snow Removal Company for Holidays

Snowfall tends to occur during holidays, like Christmas and Thanksgiving. If you do not hire a professional service, you may have to shovel snow on these days instead of spending time with loved ones. Another benefit is that some services will monitor the weather and come out and begin treatment without you even have to arrange for it. So, when you’re spending time with your family, you won’t even need to think about the snow falling outside.

Put the Shovel Down and Find Your Company

It’s very clear that hiring snow removal professionals is the smart choice. By putting down your shovel, you can have more time to spend with family and avoid serious injuries.

We are masters in snow removal and winter services, and we have been serving Milwaukee and Southeast Wisconsin since 1973. Contact us on our website or call us at (262) 252-4260 to schedule your snow removal services this winter!

Common Wisconsin Tree Diseases and How to Identify Them (Part 2)

August 14, 2017/in News, Tree Care/by American Landscape

Wisconsin offers a variety of tree species that beautify our area in unique ways. Homeowners all over the area enjoy their trees and want to ensure their continued health. For this reason, American Landscape offers tree care and arboreal services, as well as diagnosis and treatment of all types of tree disease in the Milwaukee and Menomonee Falls area. In this post, we’ll continue our coverage of common Wisconsin tree diseases, so you can be informed about the conditions that can affect your trees.

Leaf blister

A number of species of the genus Taphrina are responsible for this disease. Leaf blister is named because it typically causes discrete, roundish bulges in leaf tissue, often with some cupping and twisting of the leaves. Defoliation rarely follows infection, but affected tissue sometimes has a fuzzy growth over the surface. Red oaks are especially susceptible, although other hosts are sometimes also affected. Like most other fungal leaf spots, each fungal species is host-specific.

Leaf blotch

This is the most prominent disease of horse chestnut, and most related members of Aesculus (buckeye) are susceptible. Leaf blotch commonly produces symptoms similar to anthracnose, beginning in midsummer. In nurseries, symptoms may show earlier. Aesculus species also are susceptible to a physiogenic “leaf scorch” condition that is associated more with a marginal burn of the foliage. However, the two can occur on the same plant. On flowering crab, leaf blotch typically shows more yellowing and blotchiness of foliage than on horse chestnut. As the disease progresses, affected leaves fall off.

Monilinia blight

Irregular blotches suddenly appear on foliage in May or June, especially on hawthorns. Entire twigs are sometimes affected. The damaged tissue frequently has a fuzzy fungal growth over the surface. At first, the tissue appears water-soaked and gray, but soon turns tan in color. Cool, moist conditions favor the disease, which does not spread after initial infections. You can protect trees by using appropriate fungicides where needed. Applications should be made at the same time as for cedar-hawthorn rust control.

Powdery mildew

This disease is found on many trees, especially in late summer. Symptoms include a white or gray surface of fungal spores and vegetative growth over leaves and twigs. Powdery mildew rarely requires control on trees, but several chemicals are registered and effectively control this disease if applied at the proper time.

Rust

Rust diseases usually are diagnosed by the masses of red or orange spores that develop over the leaves’ surfaces. On some shade trees, such as birch and cottonwood, leaves may become severely infected and drop off. On others, such as oak, the infection is barely perceptible. With still others, such as ash, there may be twisting, swelling, and malformation of affected tissue.
Virtually all rust diseases require a second, or alternate, host on which to complete the life cycle, including the juniper for hawthorn and flowering crab rust; certain pines for oak rust; Spartina (a Poaceous grass) for ash rust; and Larix laricina (eastern larch, or tamarack) for birch rust. In some cases, you can control rust by removing the less desirable host from the area, while in most cases, the problem is not serious enough to warrant treatment. However, fungicide treatment may be required in nurseries and other settings. Infection may be seasonal, thus requiring treatments for a limited period only.

Contact us today!

We are masters in tree care and arboreal services and have been serving Milwaukee and Southeast Wisconsin since 1973. Our experts are standing by to care for your trees and shrubs today. Contact us on our website or call us at (262) 252-4260 to get your tree care service started!