GEORGIA RED CLAY, KNOW YOUR DIRT!

If you grew up in the Atlanta metro, you know all too well what that a pain it is to work with Georgia Red Clay.  It's heavy, clumps together, stains your clothes, produces sub-optimal growth, and is generally a pain in the neck.  But what is it?  What are the most effective ways to landscape in this muck?  How can you grow a row of stunning red nandinas in a bed of raunchy red clay?

Before we get to the specifics of working with the stuff, it's important to understand what we colloquially know as Georgia Red Clay actually is.  For starters, it's not technically clay at all, but soil.  It's not just any soil, but a specific class of soil called an Ultisol.  Ultisols are known for their rich red color, high density, high acidity, and relatively low mineral content.

Now that you know a little bit about what the stuff is let's talk about how it affects your landscape.  Ultisols are GREAT for building.  Unlike some soils they don't swell or shrink based on water content. Plus they're stress tolerant, making excellent foundations for construction.  You're probably thinking, "what's wrong with that?"  Well from an architect's perspective, nothing, this is ideal!  BUT from the home owners perspective it introduces a few issues.

Construction companies want to build a quality product that lasts.  That means building on as stable a foundation as possible.  In our part of the country, that means building on Georgia Red Clay.  Establishing a lawn space that will look beautiful for years to come does not serve the interests of most home construction contractors.  Their task is to build it, sell it, leave it.  So in the process very little concern is put into soil health and sustainability.  Often times construction companies will totally remove the healthy topsoil in a development in order to achieve the level stable platforms they need for construction without replacing it, only to throw down some cheap sod and a few simple plants when it comes time to put their product on the market.

All hope is not lost though!  There are cost effective ways to significantly improve the health of your soil.  Because Ultisols are so incredibly dense, aeration is a great place to start.  If you can't afford to have it done professionally or to purchase a large machine, you can strap on some lawn aerator sandals for under $15 and spend an hour or so walking around.  Once the soil is opened up it will be able to receive more nutrients from fertilization, absorb more water, and give seeds a greater chance of taking root.

Now that your soil is ready to receive all the love you can afford, it's a good time to do a soil test.  You can have a soil test done professionally, but you can also easily and accurately measure everything you need to know about it with a home soil test kit.  These kits range everywhere from $15- $500, but don't worry about breaking the bank on a high-end test.  For the purposes of growing a plush green lawn, knowing your soil's pH levels and macro-nutrient content is plenty.

With very few micro-climate exceptions, Ultisols will have a low pH, meaning they are acidic.  The ideal pH for your lawn is between 6 and 7.  If you aren't there yet, a quick and easy fix to raise pH levels is the application of lime.  Everyone knows lime is good for lawns, but it's important to know why and how much.  More is not always better, as an over-application of lime can turn your lawn from slightly acidic to toxically basic in very short order, so apply with caution and test your lawn often!

If you've tried aeration, lime, fertilizers, re-seeding and voo-doo, but still just can't seem to get the results you want, the next step to consider is top-dressing your "red clay" soil.  Top dressing is relatively cost effective when compared to hauling in multiple tons of topsoil.  You can find top dressing mixtures at your local landscape supply retailer, or you can make it yourself by adding compost to sand.  If you don't want to ante up the big money to cover your entire lawn and re-start your grass from scratch, you can disperse application over a period of months, allowing your grass to grow through the top-dressing and spreading out the expense.

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Outdoor Kitchens

These kinds of kitchens have been around for about a million years, literally,  ever since thehumanoids first learned how to cook with fire. Let us help you bring your kitchen back to its natural place! If you are a master in the kitchen, a fully equiped outdoor kitchen might be an excellent option for you. Do you love to bbq with family and friends? Well, maybe a grill islandalong with some storage compartments would best suit your needs. Or do you prefer to bake? Perhaps an authentic pizza oven sparks your interest? There are many benefits this home addition can provide. If your yard isn't level sometimes an outdoor kitchen can be built at a medium level to combine or connect spaces on your grounds. Is healthy living and well-being  a concern of yours? Creating a garden that is easily within reach and at your disposal filled with fresh vegetables, fruits, and herbs  would be a grand idea. This addition could also be a brilliant way to increase your property value. It is a great investment that can potentially have financial gain if you were to sell your home. Whatever the case may be you can turn your backyard into a party pad, family gathering area, or a romantic enclave. The choice is yours! An outdoor kitchen is an exceptional addition to any backyard. Schedule for a free consultation with the Landscape Dr. 

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Why Winter May Be The Best Time For BIG Landscape Projects

When it comes to landscaping, most people think about lush green lawns, full color gardens in bloom, and warm sunny days.  During the winter months, when trees are bare and gardens bleak, the landscaping industry gears down to a creeping pace.  Some companies even shut-down operations altogether.  So why on Earth would this be a good time for you to work on your property?!   

The natural ebb of the landscaping industry during winter months can prove advantageous to the savvy home owner in several ways.  With the right planning you can find yourself with higher quality improvements, huge savings on professional help, and outdoor living areas complete in time for spring.  We're not talking about planting flowerbedshere (of course the cold weather will freeze out delicate specimens).  This is the right time for big projects.  Grading, demolition of unwanted growth, tree removal, retaining wall construction, installing paths or patios.  The sort of projects that are built to last, and that add real value to your property.  

It's no secret that there is a low demand for landscaping services during winter.  Because of the low demand, most landscape service providers have far more flexible schedules.  This means they won't be rushing to finish project after project, possibly cutting corners to complete their work for you and move on to another home.  If you start a large winter project that requires professional help to complete, you can be confident that they will be able to spend more time and more resources on the details of your project without the distractions that warmer weather will bring them.  This isn't to say landscapers won't give you a quality product during the summer, only that then they will not have nearly as much time to spend with you to learn exactly what your vision is and how to bring it to life.      

With low demand comes low price.  Your macro-economics professor wasn't lying.  The landscaping industry is very unpredictable when it comes to the cost of work and materials.  What you pay will be entirely dependent upon the company you hire and how much they mark-up their costs, not any larger market trends.  Large, corporate companies will generally have more stable prices throughout the year because they can rest on their income generated through lawn maintenance contracts.  Small, local companies are forced to under-cut the competition at this time of year unless they have supplemental income through material distribution or diverse maintenance accounts.  The best winter deals will always come from local companies that specialize in landscape design and installation.  These are the companies that will be the hungriest for work, and will be willing to take jobs at minimal rates (some may even go low enough as to only cover costs and overhead).  Because these small companies have such a narrow customer base, they are far more succeptible to damages from negative reviews.  So not only will they work with you on a tight budget, they'll do so with an eye to perfection.   

If you're living in Tuxedo Park or have a seven figure home value, finding the cheapest deal probably isn't much of a motivator.  Even if that's the case, winter is STILL the best time for these projects!  The reason for this is simple: why waste warm weather working on your landscape?  Nobody wants to step outside in April with the smell of spring in the air and sound of bobcats, powertools, and installation crews toiling rumbling the planks of their deck.  Waiting until the good weather comes to improve your outdoor living areas is like waiting until after your wedding day to order your cake.  It's already too late to fully appreciate what you've got! 

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