Giving Back Through Landscape Design

On September 17, the Loudoun Chapter of Habitat for Humanity held its annual barn dance and auction.  The event featured both live and silent auctions, dinner and drinks, a live band, and dancing. Kane Landscapes participated in the event by donating a master landscape design to the highest bidder.  The proceeds of $750 will go towards the organizations many projects, including the current new construction under way for two homes located on the outskirts of Middleburg, as well as the purchase of land for new homes. 

On September 21, a representative from Kane Landscapes attended Autism in the Office, a networking event and fundraiser geared towards educating business owners and professionals about Autism in the workplace. All the proceeds from the event went to the Autism Society of Northern Virginia. Kane Landscapes again donated a professional landscape design valued at $750 to the winner of the drawing.

Kane Landscapes has shown its commitment to giving back to the community through its continual donations of time and money to local public schools, Habitat for Humanity, and other charitable organizations.  We believe strongly in supporting the communities which have supported our employees and company for so many years.

It’s Raining, It’s Pouring, the Old Man is…..Sopping Up Water in His Flooded Basement with All the Towels He Can Find!

With the recent rains, many people are noticing they have drainage problems with their yards or worse inside their homes. We all know someone who called their insurance company after their basement had flooded only to find out that the Homeowners Policy doesn’t cover floods. If you were one of the lucky homeowners that did not have damage from the first set of rain storms last week, brace yourselves. We have more rain on the way. There are, however, some simple things you can do to avoid these expensive repairs to your home. The first step is to take a look around your home’s foundation and yard. Here are a few common items to look for:

• Check your downspouts:
• Do they let out right by your house?  If so, the water may not easily flow away and could seep down against your basement walls, possibly making its way inside. Hopefully, if the water does get inside, your sump pump will push it back outside. But, what happens if that sump line also dumps the water out by the foundation? Then the cycle happens all over again. It is only a matter of time until the pump burns out, and you find yourself ankle deep in water.
• Are all drainage lines (e.g. the black piping or stone river beds) installed properly with the correct slope away from your house?  Make sure the water is let out in a safe area of the property that does not cause other issues or problems for you or your neighbor. The only thing worse than flooding your own basement, is flooding your neighbor's. It will make those neighborhood get-togethers a little awkward.
• Are your downspouts buried? Then it is also important to check every few months to make sure the ends of the drain lines are letting water out properly and not blocked or grown over with grass or plants. You may need to call a professional to unblock downspouts that are buried.
• Clean your gutters regularly:
• Gutters should be cleaned in the spring and the fall and should be checked before substantial storms, like the storms on the way.
• If you don’t want to worry about the recurring costs or scheduling issues, have gutter covers installed.  These prevent most debris from flowing into the gutter system and blocking the downspouts. Gutter covers also prevent countless trips to the emergency room for all those "do-it-yourselfers" who decide to clean their own gutters.
• Check your hardscapes:
• Does your driveway or patio slope back towards your house?  If so, you either hired the wrong contractor, or you are one of those previously mentioned "do-it-yourselfers." It is best to have this fixed by a professional as soon as possible. 
• Do you have a "sunken" garage? Make sure there is a large “strip” drain across the driveway that is capable of catching ALL the water even during a torrential rain.  Then, make sure the strip drain endind is clear and able to let the water out away from your home.
• Check your landscape beds:
• Do your landscape beds slope away from your home?  A good rule of thumb is to have a 5 to 10 foot slope from your home's foundation that drops at least 5 inches. Many times the dirt around a new home’s foundation will settle over the first few years. Make sure to add soil, if needed, to keep a positive slope away from the foundation.
• Check all sunken window wells and basement staircases:
• Do you have sunken window wells or basement stairs? If so, clean out the bottom of window wells and staircase drains regularly - especially in the fall.   If possible, cover your window well with plastic covers, or, at a minimum, ensure the drain at the bottom is working properly.  These areas are the most common location for water to enter into homes.
• Check your Homeowners Insurance:
• Does it cover floods? Probably not. If you have any of the above risk factors (and do not plan on fixing them) or have had your home flood before, you may want to look into purchasing a separate Flood Insurance policy.

If you have questions or concerns with the drainage around your home make sure to call a licensed, professional contractor (preferably Kane Landscapes, Inc.) that has experience with these types of problems.  Water issues can be tricky; the only thing worse than having your home flooded is having it happen again.

A Time for Planting

 

In late March, early April we all see our neighbors reappear from winter hibernation. We see them taking walks with their dogs, riding bikes with their kids, and wearing shorts before they have had a chance to hit the tanning salon.  We also see our neighbors planting vegetables, plants and flowers in their garden. Perhaps they are just looking to spend more time outdoors, or perhaps they believe, like so many people do, that spring is the best time for planting. After all, doesn't the emergence of leaves on trees, the sound of baby birds chirping, and the smell of pollen in the air all signal life and growth (and a serious allergy attack)?

Actually, fall is the ideal time to install perennials, evergreens, and deciduous trees and shrubs. In the metropolitan area, fall would be defined as September, October, and even early November or at least 6 weeks before the ground freezes. When plants are installed in the fall, the warm soil from the summer encourages root growth and these roots continue to grow through the winter until the ground freezes.  Then, in the spring these plants have an early start because they will have a well-established root system. By the time summer arrives, these plants are better equipped to deal with heat and drought.  Plants that are installed in the spring get a slower start due to cooler soils and are not as well equipped to deal with the summer climate.  In addition, plants installed in the fall have more dependable rainfall (as we have witnessed these past few weeks), cooler temperatures, and less diseases and insect infestations.

If you are thinking about adding plants to enhance your landscape, contact Kane Landscapes today so we can provide you with a landscape plan and prepare for installation in September and October. By next spring you will recognize the difference this investment has made in your home’s appeal. Instead of planting your landscape, you can sit back and enjoy it.

Aeration, Seeding & "Poop"

Last fall, my sister's family came for a visit; and as my nephew walked through the front door, he yelled, "There's poop in your grass!" I immediately thought one of our neighbors had failed to clean up after their dog. However, when I asked my nephew, "Where?" he enthusiastically exclaimed, "Everywhere!" I started to get really mad at my countless inconsiderate neighbors, until my husband explained that my nephew was referring to the grass and soil plugs left behind by the aerator.

So, why do so many lawn-conscientious homeowners have "poop" in their lawn every fall? Core aeration alleviates soil compaction, allows more water and oxygen to the roots zone, provides more room for grass roots to grow, and creates a cool damp place for seed to germinate. Core aeration is most beneficial for cool season grasses (most common to Northern Virginia) when done in September or October along with over-seeding and applying fertilizer. If you are a customer of Kane Landscapes and have signed up for the Lawn Care package, these service will be provided to you. Just remember to water your lawn before and after the services are performed to help the seed germinate. We recommend watering your lawn 2-3 times per week at least one week before and three weeks after your service.  Please call our office for your scheduled visit date.

Speaking of "poop", top dressing your lawn with Orgrow is the most effective treatment to establish a thick, green lawn. If your own dogs have done damage to your yard or the summer heat and drought have left your grass in need of some serious TLC, applying a thin layer of Orgrow will go a long way in repairing damage. Orgrow is a 100% organic soil media containing a tremendous amount of naturally occurring nitrogen (including manure, A.K.A. cow poop), which is what makes the grass so green. Top dressing your lawn is extremely beneficial because it improves soil composition, reduces soil born diseases, improves water holding capacity, and reduces thatch. In addition, it breaks down over an extended period of time, keeping your lawn healthy throughout the year.

Besides the aforementioned "poop" related services, Kane Landscapes also provides several other lawn renovation services geared towards repairing summer damage, preparing the grass roots for the winter, and maintaining healthy grass throughout the season, including: power seeding, dethatching, applying fall fertilizer (non-poop based), and weed control. Better yet, Kane Landscapes can provide a full-year, customized Lawn Care Program to make your lawn and landscape the envy of your neighbors.