Plants in the Tulsa Landscape - Using the USDA Plant Hardiness Map

Right Plant, Right Place

It is a warm, sunny spring day and you are excited to visit your local nursery to pick out plants for your really exciting landscape project.  You have the perfect spot for a couple of Burning Bushes, Limemound Spirea will line the front bed, and Knockout Roses will add the perfect splash of Summer color.

 Plant Tag tells you everything

Upon arriving at the nursery you quickly grab a basket to load up with all your plants.  You come to your Burning Bush, pick out the best dwarf varieties.  As you approach the choices of Knockout Roses, you notice a tag stuck into the container.  Well, as you probably know plants always have a tag that tells you everything about that plant.  Size, Shape, Color, soil type,  what kind of sunlight they need, how much water they need, and how big the hole needs to be for planting. 

One area you might also notice on the tag is the USDA Hardiness Zone.  You might or might not have ever noticed this on a tag, but it shares very important information when making your plant purchase.  Heres how the map works:

The map is based on the average annual minimum winter temperature, divided into 10-degree F zones.  There are 13 zones, with each zone being split into a sub zone labeled "a" or "b" for a total of 26.

For example: Plants installed in Oklahoma will fall in the zones: 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a. In Tulsa, where our company is located, the cold Hardiness zones are 6b and 7a. Landscaping in Tulsa Ok is temperature variable in winters by a huge margin.  Even when using the cold hardiness guide, we still have extreme cold, killing winters.  Sometimes plants from a more southern zone do well for years and then a very cold winter takes them out.  Choose wisely.

Why is knowing the Cold Hardiness Zone important? 

Lets use the perennial, Shasta Daisy, as an example. The Shasta Daisy has a Cold Hardiness zones  from 5-9. In order for the plant to live and grow well year after year, it needs to be planted in areas that fall in zones 5-9 on the USDA Cold Hardiness Zone map.  If the Shasta Daisy is planted north or south of these zones, like North Dakota, Minnesota, or the western edge of California, then it would be exposed to harsh climates that could damage or kill the plant. Additionally, if the plant does not receive a desired cold temperatures in the winter, the plant will not achieve proper dormancy and it suffers.

You can check out the interactive version of the USDA Hardiness Zone map by clicking here.

Look for landscape ideas under our porfolio tab.

View our favorite Oklahoma perennials, shrubs, trees, and flowers on our Pinterest.

Happy Planting!

- Your Tulsa Landscape Crew

Hunter Pro-C Controller - How to program my Irrigation Controller!

Sprinkler system programming made easy

Solid state Irrigation controllers can be a little intimidating.  Not the Hunter Pro C.  This unit is easy to use and has all the useful features needed to save on water which means it will save you money when programmed properly.  This video teaches you the operational functions of the Hunter Pro C. 

Celebrate National Lawn & Garden Month: Timely To-Dos for April 2012

What better way to celebrate then to start preparing for the summer! Here in Oklahoma the mild winter has cohersed people into planting early.  Fingers crossed we do not see a last minute freeze before we turn over to the month of May. 

Before jumping in the car and driving to your nearest nursery to load up on plants, read through the following guidelines to ensure a healthy and abundant landscape.

• Encourage beneficial insects by planting herbs and flowers throughout your gardens.

• Propagate your favorite shrubs, perennials, and trees to put elsewhere on your property or to donate to a greening organization.

• Incorporate as many native plants as possible into your landscape.

• Get to know your lawn as a garden of grass. Discover what kind of turfgrass you have and what kind of care it needs for best results. Click here to talk to a specialist.

• Research least-toxic pest and weed control methods.

• Double check your sprinkler system controller for correct watering time and zone dispersal. Click here for more about sprinker systems.

• Begin a compost bin comprised of worms.

• Understand you soil composition so you know what plants to place where.

• Make notes on the amount of sunlight a bed/area receives.

• Clean your gardening tools; oil wooden handles, tighten heads, and sharpen blades.

• Cut back on lawn mowing by incorporating groundcovers, expanded perennial beds, even moss, to your lawn. Check out groundcovers for Oklahoma lawns here.

• Vow to minimize pesticide use to protect wildlife, the water supply, and human health. A low-maintenance landscape needs little intervention. 

For ideas on good plant options go to our Pinterest and view each category for shrubs, trees, flowers, and more. Tulsa Landscape Pinterest

Landscaping Small Spaces: Creating a backyard retreat on a balcony.

Are you living in a place with a balcony or very small patio and still want to have that backyard retreat feel?  I know I enjoy an outdoor living space where I can sit quietly, read a book, and listen to birds chirp.  Recently, a family member of mine moved into an apartment and I thought, "Well, how is she going to have that backyard feel? What can she do to add some character to her balcony?" 

In response to those questions I have put together a few tips to keep in mind and some ideas on how you or a friend can keep that cozy backyard feel on a small patio or balcony.

1.  First you will need to measure your area so you have an idea of the space you are working with.  Having specific measurements will allow you to cut out furniture pieces or other items to scale.  You can then arrange the pieces on a piece of paper to create ideas on how you want things placed.

2.  Depending on your space you might have room for a couple pieces of outdoor furniture.  For example, two chairs and a small table, or a small loveseat bench.  Furniture cushions can be changed out seasonally to give your space a new feel.

3.  Before you pick out plants make sure you know which direction your outdoor space is facing.  The amount of daylight available to the area is important when picking out your plants. Also keep in mind not having a sprinkler system means you will be doing the watering by hand. Plants can be utilized in many different ways in your space:

• hanging planters
• flower box
• small single plant on a table.
• corner plants

4. Add a distinquishing feature.  A unique, creative feature you can add to your space is a pond in a pot.  Find or purchase a decorate pot, fill it with water, and incorporate water plants. The pot not only adds charater to the space, but you also have a water feature.

5.  Dont forget about lighting.  You might not have big bushes or tall trees to illuminate, but you still have a space that can be brightened up at night with a little light feature.  Lanterns are a great option when making this decision. You can set one on a table, hang a few from the ceiling, or attach them to balcony railing. 

Plant Suggestion for Friend on Facebook

We would like to dedicate this blog to the Rose Creek Abelia.  Recently we had a question regarding which plant would be best to use in an area with little sunlight.  Other aspects our friend wanted in her plant was for it to grow to 2 to 3 feet tall and have a white flower.  Our suggestion... the Rose Creek Abelia.  This is an ideal option for our friend and possibly for you, our reader, as well. Below is a spec. sheet with a few more details about the plant.  Enjoy!

Getting Creative with Old Pots!

If you have old flower pots or decorative pots laying around and are not sure what to do with them, read below on a few creative ideas that will put those old pots to use!

1.  As a garden feature.  We typically plant a flower upright in the flower  pot that sits on it's base. How about turning the pot on its side and planting a perinnial, such as a Patriot Hosta or Shasta Daisy and letting the plants grow naturally.  Allowing the plant to grow from the inside out will make for a creative feature in your garden.

2.  As a water feature ornament.  Back yard ponds typically include rocks, plants, water, and fish, but what about an old pot?  Fish love to use the pot as a hidding place, and you can even break up the pot into a couple of pieces making it a little more interesting. One of our friends simply took her old pot and put it in the bottom of her backyard pond; it made for an interesting design feature the fish absolutely loved it.

3. To create a miniture pond. Maybe you do not have room for a pond in your backyard, or maybe you live in an apartment with no backyard.  You can still enjoy a small pond type feature by using an existing pot.  Chose a pot made from ceramic, plastic, sealed cement, porcelain or metal. Fill with water and water plants such as floaters, deep-water plants, and marginals.

Have fun this spring and incorporate one of the ideas into your outdoor living space!  For more outdoor ideas check out the portfolio section and schedule your consultation!

Utilizing Houzz.com to Communicate Ideas Through Photos

Whether your brainstorming ideas for your next project or just killing a few minutes on break looking at pictures, Houzz is a great place to start! 

We stumbled upon Houzz.com recently and have quickly discovered how great of a site it is to get new design ideas for interior and exterior living areas.  Most of the designs will take your imagination places you never thought it could go, which is helpful when brainstorming fresh ideas for you exterior space. 

Things you can do on Houzz:

• create an ideabook
• find the actual product and its' price from the photo
• join or start a discussion
• find professionals and view their projects
• invite friends and get recommended

We encourage you to join Houzz today and share with us some designs you love. 

You can find us by going to Houzz.com, clicking the "Professionals" tab, and then searching for  Tulsa Landscape Inc.

or click

I already have ideas in mind and want to discuss them with a professional!

Understanding the Landscape Project Process - From Patios to Ponds

You have decided to renovate your backyard.  Your excited for this upgrade to your outdoor living space, but nervous at the same time because you haven't gone through this process before.  Understandable.  Become comfortable and familiar with the process by reading the following steps.

Starting out...

Abbey the Beagle Case Study - Landscape Design Materials in Tulsa

Spring is early and so are the calls for Landscape Design.  2012 has been a banner year for design questions.  I wanted to take a few minutes and discuss the best practices for material choices that we are using on a current project named Abbey the Beagle - Backyard Dog Paradise.

First Impressions

 Upon my initail visit to Abbey's backyard,  I was struck by the size of the property.  From the back door of the upper patio it measured 80 feet wide & almost 200 hundred feet deep (one lucky dog).  The area has many Native Elm trees and a brilliant green fescue lawn.  From the upper terrace, you meander down generous Hackett steps to a Limestone lined Koi pond fed by a twenty foot long stream.  Generous large beds grow Azalaeas, Hostas, Ferns, and various evergreen ground covers under the tree canopies. This space draws you into nature right in the middle of the city. The fence is round rail pine with vinyl coated gavanized chain link that disppears into the natural woods setting. My blood pressure dropped ten poiints as I moved deeper in the woods.

The back of the home is Brick with some painted siding.  Ten windows on the northside look on this area from the den, breakfast nook, and master bedroom.  Many of the these warm views are great during the growing season but go lacking in the winter.

How to improve

There were several areas I looked to improve during this project.  Here are the hightlights:

• The stream feeding the Koi pond was technically perfect but needed a more natural feel.  Answer - Widen the stream in places & plant trailing evergreens to soften the rock on the edges.
• Install several Azaleas in small groups to mimick a natural setting under the trees.
• The landscape was beautiful during the day, but needed a few well placed LED Landscape downlights to extend the view into the night time from the windows in the house.

The owner entertains  outdoors (Cindy has the Gift of Hospitality) and was planning an April baby shower for a friend's daughter.  In midyard, we installed a 22' x 19' Blue Mist Flagstone patio where she will use 8-top round tables to provide a cozy feel.  Extra tables can be placed off the edges in the lawn and beds to use as much of the patio space for guests.  We also built-in some benches to give the space a permanent feel that draws to linger.

Finally the Materials

So often, we must limit the choices of materials to avoid the design from becoming too busy.  This project allowed us the break the rules.  The upper patio is a Gray Ashlar Slate, the steps are a gray Hackett stone, and the koi pond is Limestone.  The new Flagstone patio is Blue Mist (blue-gray) .  By utilizing a gray color throughout it unifies the spaces.  The large expanse  really allowed us to have three to four outdoor rooms.  If the space were smaller, we would have been much more restricted to limit the number of elements.

So now, Abbey the Beagle can enjoy her backyard knowing we had employed the best possible design to make her outdoor Dog experience emulate nature. 

Backyard Flare - Latest Fads in Fire Features

Looking for a new feature to add a spark to your backyard paradise?  No, not fireworks.  I'm talking about fire pits, fire bowls, and outdoor fireplaces.  These are all cutting edge design features you can add to create warmth, coziness, or even create the perfect s'more. 

One thing you want to think about when deciding on a fire feature is the purpose.  If you have a wood burning fire pit chances are you will be exposed to more smoke; therefore, if you want to elimate the smoke smell post outdoor enjoyment, we suggest going with an outdoor fireplace or using natural gas with your fire pit.

A couple of ideas you might want to keep in mind when designing your perfect outdoor fire feature is the possiblity to use artifical logs, fire pit glass rocks, and sitting area around the feature.  All of these features can be wonderful additions to warm up your outdoor living space.

Below are a few pictures of different types of fire pits, fire bowls, and outdoor fire places.