Green Side Up! of Wilmington, Inc.

use texture to provide interest
Try to make use of texture when planning your design. Use a variety of shapes and surfaces to make your space more interesting. Use a mix of leaf sizes to provide contrast—big round ones combined with light and delicate ones.

uses for ornamental grasses
In a natural landscape design, ornamental grasses, with their soft texture and subdued tones offer a great backdrop for bright perennials, annuals and flowering shrubs. They are very effective when planted in groups of three or more so that they form clumps large enough to make an impact.

Selecting grass type;

Grass selection criteria
Select your grass based on (1) how much maintenance time (and money) you will have to devote to the lawn, (2) what the lawn will be used for and (3) the climate and growing conditions prevalent in your area. Proper selection of species and variety based on these three factors will always deliver expected results.

Patios - proper scale
The best patios are usually in scale with your lot, house and the recreations they support. You may not want to sacrifice too many trees or shrubs to accommodate a large patio. In this case, plan the patio as a unit with some prominent plantings, tying it into your landscape, or keep it close to the house, harmonizing with the house as much as possible. One rule of thumb is “not to let your patio be larger than the largest room in your house”.

Pruning vines
Some vines grow rampant and may appear overgrown unless they are severely pruned at frequent intervals. Only when a natural effect is desired and there is enough space should vines be allowed to grow freely.

tips for using bright colors
Bright colors such as yellow, orange, and red in a garden can jump out at you. While they can make a distant garden come forward, they can also make a small garden feel smaller, so use them with some caution. If you have a narrow bed or yard, yellow or red plants placed at the corners can square it up.

An Ounce of Prevention...
An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, as the old saw goes. Preventing weeds means developing a dense mat of healthy turf. Promoting that thick, green, weed-free carpet is really easy--all you have to do is make sure the lawn is watered, mowed and fertilized properly. Have the soil analyzed at least once every three years, and head off chemical and nutrient problems before they show up in sparse turf.

grass clippings and thatch
There is a wide spread belief that leaving the grass clippings on your lawn contributes to thatch - dead or dying grass parts that prevent moisture and oxygen from reaching plant roots. But the truth is that the just opposite is true. Fresh clippings stimulate earthworm activity which breaks down the thatch.

Patios - planning considerations
To plan a successful patio, you should begin with three considerations: the weather and exposure, the expected flow of traffic, and the design in relation to the patio's main purpose-a small intimate one for family enjoyment or a large patio for entertaining. The best patios are planned to exploit either the sun or the shade.

Tips for planning main entryway
Give particular attention to your main entryway. Be sure it is clearly defined so that people can easily find their way to the door you want them to enter. Make walkways solid, well drained and wide enough so that 2 people can walk comfortably side by side.