Welcome to our September edition. Our response from August was overwhelming. It pushed our appointments into October. Thank you for the response, however, it stresses me out when clients have to wait so long. We will continue to do our best by being as efficient as possible, while completing each job with pride and excellence.  

Every now and then, an opportunity to do something quite unique comes along. That opportunity occurred for us with Larry and Bell’s yard. Like many homeowners in the Rocklin, Folsom, and El  Dorado Hills  area, you inherit a less than desirable yard, but a home you love. Such was their case. They live in Rocklin, and their home is right on the edge of a relatively steep slope. Everything with the landscape is impacted by the slope. I have noticed over the years that people do not take advantage of the hidden potential of a slope because it is intimidating. It is hard to know where to begin, and it is a large and costly amount of work. There are not many companies that have the knowledge to do the job right. That is another reason why more slopes remain unsightly. When a slope is landscaped improperly, they normally lose 30-50% percent of the plants within a few years. There’s not much to show for the investment. This was my client’s situation, and we were the second company they hired. In this situation, I have to work twice as hard to gain the client’s confidence. No one likes to be burned – especially twice, so the initial lack of confidence is expected. I always ask them, “Why did you not call me the first time?” Normally it is cost related because our company is perceived as being most expensive, and we might be. I do not know what others charge, but I do know that doing the landscape a second time becomes  really expensive, and our prices do not even come close to that! I have met clients where we were the third company they had worked with. Talk about having to break down a wall as well as the cost! Therefore, I write to help the clients in need to feel confident with Executive Care. We will do the job right the first time, and once completed, the client will be able to enjoy their yard. It will still be pricey when we are talking about slopes, but not like paying two or three times for the same piece of real estate. With patience and knowledge, slopes can become welcoming and attractive.

I often wonder about the landscape companies that came before us, and what they were thinking. Some companies put the valves at the base of the hill, or by the house, forcing the water uphill. How far did they think they could push the water uphill before the water pressure stopped? What about the plants higher up the hill?  Did they consider this at all? They should have at least installed a 1” valve and  ¾” drip line. The standard  ¾ valve and ½ inch drip line, which work fine if used correctly, could never have enough water pressure to go uphill, or to cover the face of a hill, even if its downhill. With our client, the prior landscaper installed one ¾ inch valve for the whole slope and located it next to the house, a distance away from the slope. The correct way would have been to install two valves, which would havegiven the backyard a total of three. One valve for the level portion of the backyard, and the other two for the slope. When doing two valves for the slope, we divide the slope into moisture zones.  One valve covers the lower half of the hill, and the other the upper half.  With two valves, the watering could be more customized. The upper portion would always receive 30 to 35 minutes, and the lower portion would be about 25 minutes, and it quite possibly would need no water at all in the winter. This method gives you more control and prevents plants from becoming too wet or too dry. 

Another issue we see is that too many clients do not understand the concept of drip irrigation. As they program their timer for lawn, they assume the same time should go for drip. I tell my clients that half my grey hair came from my daughters, and the other half continues to come from clients that do not understand drip irrigation programming. They think 15 minutes is enough for drip, and when they turn down the time for their lawns in the winter, they assume the same time should go with drip irrigation. It is not that way AT ALL.  Drip irrigation is a gallon per hour, and most landscapers, for reasons unknown to me, only add one emitter per plant. From the start, we use two, which makes a huge difference in plant growth. With two emitters, at a gallon per hour, a half hour watering (1 gallon) is right for a new landscape. However, if there is only one emitter and the program is for 20 minutes the plant is only receiving a 1/3 gallon, which is not enough. Also, some clients split the watering by doing 15 minutes in the morning and 15 minutes in the evening, which also does not work. By the time, the second cycle starts, evaporation has occurred from the first cycle and the plant never receives a deep watering, which is what drip irrigation is designed for and what the plant needs. PLEASE BE MINDFUL OF THIS! Almost all my first-time appointments have these errors when programming drip irrigation.

Back to our yard. Though irrigation is a huge deal, it was not priority number one for our client. There is a lot of wasted “air space” on a slope, which our client Larry realized. In other words, if you had a platform as opposed to just a narrow path traversing the slope, one could appreciate the view and enjoy the hill. If that platform turned into a patio overhang, then patio furniture could be added as well. Since the backyard becomes shady in the afternoon, it could become a great place to relax and hangout while enjoying the view. This is what Larry had in mind, so we built his patio overhang using columns 4”by 6” treated lumber with 16” spacing between the joist. Larry wanted a Trex deck on top without seeing the screws. Due to the way Trex can be laid, the screws are “invisible.” I was very proud of my foreman and men, as it was major hard work, especially digging the two foot (deep and wide) footings through the rock and boulders, but in the end it turned out great. We also built steps going down into it, and rebuilt the switch backs, which were very unstable prior with mixed pieces of rock stuck into the slope. Finally, and probably  because I am getting older, I am becoming more conscious of safety. At my insistence, we added railing to the pathways, which earned me an “air hug” from Bell. The patio overhang was Larry’s “man cave” without the cave, and the landscape was Bell’s joy. She will enjoy seeing the plants mature and develop and be much more comfortable with Larry going up and down the pathway with a handrail and stepped switch backs all the way to the bottom. 

Gardeners – we are winding down. It is time to get ready to pull your summer crops and allow the ground about two weeks until you start your fall/winter gardens. Fertilize heavy, and water well prior with an organic fertilizer. 

Until next time – Arthur