Drought Officially Over

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UPDATE – June 10, 2009
DROUGHT OFFICIALLY OVER – Non-Drought Rules in Effect

Effective today, June 10, 2009, the entire state of Georgia is officially out of the drought and to use “Non-Drought” Outdoor Water Rules.

Essentially, all outdoor water use is allowed on an odd/even daily basis with no time restrictions. The non-drought rules allow the use of ornamental ponds/fountains, pressure washing, carwashing, etc.

391-3-30-.03 Outdoor Water Use Schedule During Non-Drought Periods

(1) Outdoor water use other than exempted activities shall occur only as follows:
(a) Odd-numbered addresses: outdoor water use is allowed on Tuesdays,
Thursdays and Sundays.

(b) Even-numbered and un-numbered addresses: outdoor water use is allowed on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays.

Water use may occur at any time of the day on the assigned days.

The following commercial exemptions apply at this non-drought level:

(5) The following commercial outdoor water uses are exempt from the outdoor water use schedules of this rule – - the odd/even schedule does not apply to the uses listed below (water may be used for the following uses at any time of day on any day of the week)
(a) Professionally certified or licensed landscapers, golf course contractors, and sports turf landscapers: during installation and 30 days following installation only. Professional landscapers must be certified or licensed for commercial exemptions to apply.
(b) Irrigation contractors: during installation and as needed for proper maintenance and adjustments only.
(c) Sod producers.
(d) Ornamental growers.
(e) Fruit and vegetable growers.
(f) Retail garden centers.
(g) Hydro-seeding.
(h) Power-washing.
(i) Construction sites.
(j) Producers of food and fiber.
(k) Car washes.
(l) Other activities essential to daily business.
(m) Watering-in of pesticides and herbicides on turf.

Great Perennials to plant this year.

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These 5 perennials will not disappoint you.  These are no-fuss plants you can put in the ground, and with a little effort, they should never fail you.

 

Hosta

This favorite makes any shade garden shine.  Combinations of different leaf colors add interest to the garden.

Some examples:  

‘Halcyon’ offers outstanding bluish-green foliage

‘Patriot’ is a dependable white a green variegated type

Astilbe

Another dependable shade performer, astilbe needs to stay moist, but demands little more. The pink/purple blossoms will brighten any shady corner of the garden.

 

 

Black-eyed Susan

Yellow daisies are abundant when you plant Black-eyed Susan.  With average water, this perennial can handle heat a lots of sun.

‘Prairie Sun” is a bicolored variety with orange centers

‘Indian Summer’ bears large yellow blooms with dark centers.

Daylily 

Daylilies are a durable as they are beautiful.  The grass-like foliage frames large flowers available in a rainbow of colors.

Coneflower

This rugged perennial is a great source of summer color and the seeds are a great source for birds.

These are just a few examples of some reliable plants which are easy to care for and very low maintenance. 

 

Even better, these plants will come back year after year.

Plant a Butterfly Garden.

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If you are planning to add some plants to your yard this spring, you may as well add some that will attract butterflies to your garden.

You don’t need a lot of room to create a great butterfly garden, just a few specially chosen plants and a few features to attract butterflies to your yard. The gardens that most successfully attract butterflies include plants that not only provide nectar for adult butterflies, but also food for the caterpillars.

Butterflies are attracted to sweetly scented flowers in hues of purple, blue, orange, yellow, white, pink, and red.

Butterflies also need sun, water, and shelter from heavy winds.

Here are a few plants that will surely do the trick.

Nectar Plants:

Purple Coneflower
Daylilies
Verbenas
Lantana
Zinnia

Host Plants:

Sweet Violet
Dill
Parsley
Queen Anne’s Lace

 

This summer, with very little effort, you can take some time out of your busy life to enjoy your new garden. Butterflies are one of those creatures that have the ability to transport us back to our childhood. And they will surely entertain all of your visitors.

 

Queen Anne's Lace

Purple Coneflower

Lantana

Pine Straw and Sod Installation

We install trees, shrubs, irrigation, fences, retaining walls, hard scapes, outdoor kitchens, pine straw and sod.

We invite you to check out our website or call us at 770-867-0694 to contact us.

Puppy not included.

Outdoor Kitchens

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Outdoor Kitchens are a wonderful addition to your outdoor living area. In Georgia, we are fortunate to live in a relatively mild climate, where grilling can be something to be enjoyed year-round.

Enhance your patio with a custom built kitchen. These photos are from a recently finished kitchen, complete with a seating area and fire pit.

We work with each customer to design the best suited outdoor living area for their desires. We can accommodate any grill or cooker, or simply build a big fire pit with seating for roasting marshmallows or entertaining in the evenings. Give us a call; we’d love to hear from you! Let’s get started before the summer comes, so you’ll be ready to go!

Patio, walkway, and firepit installation.

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Now is the perfect time to prepare your outside living area for the warmer months. They are coming, though perhaps, not fast enough!

Add a patio or walkway now, while it is still chilly, and have it place so you are ready to greet the spring in style.

 

The ultimate patio blends the beauty of the garden with the comfort of the house. It is a focal point from both the house and backyard. It has a natural feeling of being part of the greater landscape, and most importantly gives your family a great place to gather.

We can install either a flagstone or concrete pavered patio directly over your existing slab, and can also easily extend the area to give you additional room on the patio, and link it to other parts of the yard with a connecting walkway.

 

 

Adding a walkway to your landscape will always lend a sense of timeless beauty. Adjustable to any shape or configuration, paths take the edge off overly geometric landscapes. Walkways and paths also create special visual effects in a landscape.

A flagstone walkway is versatile. The design used can be formal or informal. Flagstones are either irregularly shaped for “crazy” paving or pre-cut — usually in squares or rectangles.

Flagstone is available in multiple colors with buff, red, brown, and pink being most common. Gaps between flagstones can be filled with sand, planted with grass or creepers, or filled with mortar.

 

Like hedges and specimen trees, hardscapes such as walkways, patios, and firepits add to the sense of design and order in a landscape, and will give you enjoyment for many years to come.

Drought tolerant landscaping

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Residents in many counties throughout Georgia are currently facing restrictions or bans on outdoor water use. When watering restrictions are imposed, here are a number of things homeowners can do to help their existing plants make the best use of water in the landscape.

Make certain plants have a generous supply of mulch over their roots. Three to five inches of mulch will help hold moisture in the soil and will prevent evaporation from the soil surface. Fine-textured mulches, such as pine straw, mini-nuggets and shredded hardwood mulch do a better job of conserving moisture than coarse-textured mulch. Apply mulch to as large an area as possible under the plant, remembering that the roots of established woody ornamentals extend two to three times the canopy spread.

Avoid practices that encourage new water-demanding growth. Fertilization is not wise during extended dry periods because fertilizers are chemically salts and can actually dehydrate the roots of plants. Routine pruning also stimulates new growth and should be avoided during dry periods.

When you water, use directional watering with the hand-held hose to apply water only to those plants that show signs of wilt will help conserve water. Priority should be given to newly planted trees and shrubs (those installed within the past four months). The water restrictions do not apply to new installations, and you may water more frequently up to sixty days after your new plants are installed.

We would like to make clear that though these plants are drought resistant in the long run, during their first month or two they will still need constant watering until their roots become established. But after that time, they will be more drought-tolerant than other plants.

Trees

Bald Cypress
Bur Oak
Cherry Laurel
Crepe Myrtle
Deodar Cedar
Hollies
Japanese Zelkova
Lacebark Elm
Laurel Oak
Magnolia
Pin Oak
Shumard Oak
Sweetgum
White Oak

Shrubs

Aucuba
Butterfly Bush
Crepe Myrtle
Dwarf yaupon holly
Euonymus
Forsythia
Jasmine
Juniper
Oleander
Pampas Grass
Pittosporum
Spirea
Viburnum
Wax Myrtle
Youpon Holly

Ground Covers

Confederate Jasmine
Creeping Juniper
Daylily
Juniper
Trumpet vine
Trumpet honeysuckle

Annuals/Perennials

Black Eyed Susan
Cape Marigold
Common Zinnia
Common Geranium
Cornflower
Dusty Miller
Moss Rose

We would like to make clear that though these plants are drought resistant in the long run, during their first month or two they will still need constant watering until their roots become established. But after that time, they will be more drought-tolerant than other plants.