Landscaping Newsletter and Garden Tips

July, 2015 Volume 131

A Personal Message

Take a look at my

gardens now!

This border of daylilies is in front of Melissa's office.

Autumn Sedum is growing here to cover one of our heating/air conditioning units. This plant has rose covered flowers in the fall. It's even more beautiful then and does justice to its name.

This corner houses some of my herbs. Here's oregano and cilantro as it's going to seed. And, that's my huge zucchini plant in the corner.

These three containers are some of my favorites. They're just recycled landscaping pots, and I've filled them with gorgeous perennials. Hopefully, I'll get this same result year after year. They're resting on the white pea gravel of my French drain.

And, I have to show off my raised

bed vegetable gardens too...

Here are marigolds growing in front of pepper plants. There's an heirloom tomato plant in the back.

Onions are growing in this raised bed garden. And, here's another tomato plant behind them.

Yes, those are sunflowers. Look closely and you'll see the row of reddish beets growing close to the ground.

More marigolds! I love growing flowers right alongside my veggies. This is a little experiment for 2015. We planted several stalks of Silver Queen corn. We'll see...

Despite featuring one of my favorite hobbies, I really do actually find time to work. We're a full service landscaping company. We offer all the traditional programs as well as specialized organic lawn care and tick repellent services.

Please give us a call if we can help. My office number is 410.770.5882 or contact me directly at dellsadler@dellsadler.com.

July Garden Tips

* July gardens are expending a lot of energy while they're growing. Be sure to water properly, if we're not getting enough rain. We suggest watering deeply and infrequently at this point. Just be consistent. Don't forget containers and potted plants.

* I found this garden tip in one of my favorite on-line sources...

"I like planting different herbs around different plants or areas of the yard to ward off pests! I keep lemon and mint planted in my paths for a wonderful aroma as you walk through my gardens!"

Check out the Gardener's Paradise website - here's the link: http://gardeningtips.org/July/yard.shtml

Please note: This is not my herb-lined pathway.

This is what I wish my pathways look like! A guy's gotta dream, right?

* Did you know we make house calls? Our General Manager, Dave Lee, has an excellent knowledge of plant diseases and pests. This is the time of year when insects or scale can decimate plant material. We have treatment programs that can help return your plants to health. Call us for a no-cost appointment.

* We like to provide this suggestion at least once every summer. Best mowing heights for lawns is 2.5 - 3 inches. You don't want to scalp your grass by mowing it too short.

Root growth is directly proportionate to top growth. You need at least 2.5 inches of root growth to maintain moisture during the heat of the summer. A healthy lawn requires root depth to prevent weed, disease and insect problems.

This is a lawn that we cut on an as needed basis for a client.
We maintain the height at three inches.

Our team loves working here. One of the prettiest venues in Talbot County!

You may Need Protection from
Ticks this Summer

As I "go to press" with this newsletter, I estimate that we've treated almost 300 properties with our tick prevention program. This extremely effective barrier spray is the single most requested service I provide.

Our technician sprays the entire lawn, landscape beds and any other areas you may define for us. We'll let the spray drift back into that wooded area you see here for extra protection.

We start with a review of your property. We personally visit each and every home. We're looking for current tick activity, searching for tick habitats that may need to be eliminated and estimating the cost.

I try to keep the cost of this service as low as possible, because I believe in the necessity of tick repellent for residents of the Eastern Shore of Maryland. In addition to Lyme Disease, there's a host of other problems relating to tick bites.

Several years ago, I found myself in ICU with Ehrlichiosis. This is a tickborne bacterial infection that infects and kills white blood cells. I was hospitalized for 8 days, with a slow recovery of almost two months.

The Associated Press ran an article in June about the growth of new tickborne diseases. There's some puzzling stuff that's confusing researchers and doctors alike. Check out this AP link
about serious problems associated with tick bites...Yahoo News.

It's important to consider tick protection. I think my service is the best one available, for the least amount of money.

Your program will be tailored for you individually, using various methods to repel ticks.

We may combine a barrier spray, Damminix tubes which kill ticks in nests and personal insect repellent. We may also recommend various programs such as deer repellent and brush removal. These steps may decrease the total incidence of tick activity on your property.

Bill is placing Damminix tubes far back inside shrubbery, so that your pet can't get to them. Damminix tubes contain treated cotton batting that squirrels and other small mammals take back to their nests. The treated cotton doesn't harm them, but it's deadly to ticks.

We're serious about tick repellent. And, we're offering you my iron-clad guarantee. If you or your pet have a tick, we'll return and retreat the specific area where the tick was found. At no charge.

I hope you'll take advantage of the coupon I offer below. It's good for $25.00 off your tick repellent treatment this season.

BY THE WAY>>>Tina Kemp of Easton, MD was the winner of our free tick repellent service this summer. We sprayed her property at no cost to her last month. Thanks to everyone who participated in our contest!

And, Elaine Masso, also of Easton, MD, won our big beautiful purple petunia basket from a drawing we held at our booth at the Amish Market in June. Congratulations to Mrs. Masso. It was the biggest flower basket I've ever seen!

Hope you have a wonderful summer...free from the threat of a tick bite.