Ever get an idea for your latest project and walk into a landscaping supply yard and get overwhelmed? So many choices! Which is the right one for my project?! Here’s a quick primer on which one is best for which project.

3/4” NATIVE STONE
This is a general-purpose stone used for drainage, dry wells, and drip edges. It is the least expensive stone and is a multi-colored product.

3/4” BLUE STONE
3/4″ Blue Stone is just like our Native Stone only blue in color. This stone is more decorative. Generally used for driveways and landscaping projects.

3/4” RIVER ROCK
River Rock is a washed earth-tone assortment of smooth rounder stones. Used for decorative purposes.

3/8” RIVER ROCK
This is often referred to as Pea Stone, very popular for small walkways and joints for natural stone patios. Used for decorative purposes.

3/8” CRUSHED STONE
This stone is all crushed rock, the crushing process results in a very angular finished product. It is used for driveways and drainage.

ROUND STONE
This stone comes in 2 assortments of sizes, 1″ to 3″ or 3″ to 6″. Used for decorative purposes over a large area.

STONE DUST
Stone Dust is perfect as a base for paving block, concrete pavers, horse arenas.

CRUSHER RUN
Crusher Run sometimes referred to as Dense Grade is used extensively in building roads and in making concrete. For road building it is crushed into angular particles of uniform size. One or more layers of gravel underlie the road surface.

MASON SAND
Mason Sand is great for mortar mixes, sand for golf courses, sand boxes for the kids, beach sand, and sand volleyball courts.

CONCRETE SAND
A course sand that is washed and screened to a larger grit than Masonry Sand. Concrete sand is ideal for mixing with cement and aggregate to create concrete.

To order any of these products visit our Decorative Stone page on our website.

Ever wonder if you’re killing your plants with mulch? I know, you think more is better; you’re keeping the weeds down or whatever. But are you putting down too much mulch?

For flower beds spread the mulch about 2 inches deep. That should be deep enough to keep out most of the weeds but not so deep that it’s likely to kill the plants. And it’s plenty deep to keep the moisture in so you won’t have to water so much. Be careful not to bury the crowns of your plants or mound it around the root. Mulch that’s too deep is the equivalent of planting too deep. It also keeps nitrogen and oxygen from the plant.

For trees and shrubs you can put 3 to 4 inches of mulch but don’t put it right up to the bark. Make that area about 2 inches thick.

If you’ve got a grassy area that you want to cover over with mulch don’t expect the grass to die just because you’ve added a couple inches of mulch – it’ll still grow through. You can to do a couple other things to make sure the grass dies. First, spray with RoundUp or some other herbicide. Or you can lay newspapers or landscape fabric to keep weed seeds down and put the mulch on top. Either way works beautifully!

Here’s a list of things to keep in mind as you putter around the yard:

• Prune spring-flowering shrubs such as Forsythia and Lilac right after flowering to improve shape and control growth. Pruning too late will remove next year’s flowers.
• Plant annuals for seasonal color after the threat of frost has passed.
• Cut back spring bulb stalks but leave the foliage. If yellowing Daffodil leaves both you gather a handful and tie in a knot or wrap with elastics.
• Mulch garden beds and remove weeds as you go.
• Apply the first application of fertilizer to your lawn.
• Apply grub control if needed.
• Check to make sure the lawn mower blade is sharp. A dull blade will shred or tear grass blades, making them more prone to external stresses and pests.

All concrete pavers are made with sand, gravel, portland cement, and water, but their durability, texture and color vary depending on how they’re constructed.

A paver is concrete poured into a mold. This can create a wide variety of products to choose from because the molds can be different shapes and sizes and the concrete can be different colors. They fall into two categories: interlocking and architectural slab.

Interlocking pavers were created when bricks were in short supply after World War II and were used for roads – many of which are still in good shape today – making a perfect transition for today’s driveways.

Architecural slab pavers give a more high-end appeal. They are thinner so they aren’t perfect for a driveway and they also don’t tolerate the freeze-thaw cycle as well.

Care of Pavers
Keeping them clear of debris and occasional weeding is all you need to do. No sealing, no painting, no staining. Almost maintenance free! One of the downfalls though is that pavers will absorb stains, especially oil stains. Cleaning a stain means using a degreaser and a pressure washer or replacing the paver.

Great Reasons to use Pavers

• Pavers don’t require curing time. Concrete can take 3-5 days before being ready for use; pavers can be used right away.
• Pavers have great drainage due to the number of joints – plenty of places for the rain to run off.
• Pavers are a great solution for a pool because they are less slippery.
• Pavers typically don’t crack and in the unlikely event they do you can always replace just one.

So, now that I’ve convinced you that a paver is the right product to use check out our 10 steps to installing a paver patio.

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What would you say if I told you that by spending a little time, effort and money in the Spring that you could save so much more all year long? How do you do that, you ask? Mulch!

In a recent article Joe Lamp’l of Scripps Howard News Service wrote: “If every gardener and weekend warrior would mulch more, we’d use less water, cut down on the chemicals needed to fight pests and diseases, reduce the weed population, improve our soil and have a much healthier garden and a better-looking landscape.”

So there you have it, you’d use less water …. Save money there.

You’d use less chemicals … save money there too … and the environment as well.

You’d be pulling less weeds …. Save landscaping time – so if you hire one it’s less time to pay for.

So get that hammock ready for kicking back in the Summer.

How much maintenance you’re willing to do may be a determining point in which hardscape product you use. Here’s a general guideline of materials and upkeep:

Composite Wood
Need to be washed annually

Concrete
A sealer should be applied about 6 months after the foundation is put in and every 2-3 years after so it doesn’t get discolored or stained.

Flagstone
No sealing required.
Unless they’re in concrete the stones need to be checked in case they’ve moved.

Natural Wood
Inspect annually for rotting, splinters and loose screws.
Power wash and seal annually to help prevent discoloring.

Pavers
No sealing, painting or staining is necessary.