What Type of Soil is Best for Your Project?

August 10th, 2016 Posted in Landscape Materials Suppliers
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The success of any landscaping project that includes live plants most often depends on the soil used. Compare Top Soil, Bio Mix, and Flower Mix.

Know Your Soil – For Great Gardening Results

Experienced farmers and landscapers know one important thing about planting anything: the composition of the soil is paramount to success. Before you can determine the proper amount of moisture, the most compatible climate for plants or specific fertilizers, it’s essential to start with the study of your soil. There are several types of soils. Some are not ideal for gardens. With a little knowledge, it is possible to turn difficult soil situations into a productive soil medium.

Identify Your Soil

Three widely used soils are:

•            Topsoil, is a clean soil that has been sifted to remove rocks, twigs, and other debris.

•            Bio Mix, is most often used in retention ponds or ditches to filter the oils and other petroleum contaminants from streets and asphalt driveways so these contaminants do not reach the rivers and streams.

•            Flower Mix, normally utilize a composition of 50 percent top soil, 25 percent Nutra-Mulch, and another 25 percent granite sand to create a rich natural mix for your favorite flowers.

Each soil type is found in a variety of climates and growing zones. In the U.S. there are a dozen growing zones. Each zone has different composition due to regional climate. In order to determine the best soil for your project, you need to identify your growing zone.

What Type of Soil is best for planting a Young Fruit Tree?

When you purchase a young fruit tree from your local gardener, ask what type of soil is best to ensure the young fruit tree isn’t subjected to shock. Young fruit trees are already “balled” with soil needed for planting. You might need to add a top soil & peat mix to the bed where the tree will be planted.

What Type of Soil is best for planting a Flower Garden?

The type of soil best for planting a flower garden depends entirely on the species of flowers to be grown, but most do best in a flower mix. Azaleas and rhododendron, for example, prefer a more acidic soil. Roses do well in peaty soil. Discuss the soil you plan to use with an expert at the gardening center or an expert landscaper.

What Type of Soil is best for planting a Vegetable Garden?

As with a flower garden, the species of vegetables to be planted determine the type of soil. Potatoes, carrots, celery and tomatoes prefer slightly sandy soil. Asparagus, peppers, and squash do best in peaty soil.

Posted on behalf of:
Green Brothers Earth Works
680 Franklin Rd, SE
Marietta, GA 30067
(770) 590-8220

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5 Ways to Use Natural Stone in Your Landscape

August 10th, 2016 Posted in Natural Stone
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Using natural stone in your landscape design can be a budget-friendly approach to building curb appeal in front and an amazing area of fun out back.

As state laws and municipal ordinances continue to limit lawn watering and thus lawn growth, it is perhaps wise to use natural stones to create better curb appeal for drought-tolerant yards. Thus, many environmentally aware homeowners are moving away from lawns altogether. Many are now utilizing natural stone in the design of their home landscapes. Using natural stone formations with boulders, gravel, cactus, stone walks and steps can create a stunning approach to your front-door that is nearly maintenance free.

Keep it simple out-front and build the fun outback or on the side of your home.  Here are five great landscaping ideas for natural stone, even if you choose to keep your lawn.

Using Natural Stone to Build that Fire-Pit

A fire-pit can be a nice, useful center-piece for your backyard. Imagine the fun you and your children will have with a long stick and some hot dogs or marshmallows. You might even imagine a round fire-pit with flat stone, high-back seating on one side and a Koi pond on the other to reflect that roaring fire. The possibilities are only limited by your imagination; actually, even without much imagination you can find a design you and your family will love on the internet. Since there are many intricacies to building a Koi pond and your fishes life depends on you getting it right, you should consult a professional before getting started.

A Natural Stone Patio

You can even imagine the back of that flat stone seating being the wall of your patio. Natural flat stones make excellent flooring for that patio. You may even choose to place a natural stone walk-down, hot tub just off the patio. Use boulders, gravel, and flagstone step treads to create a unique, natural looking stairway down to your backyard area from your patio. Once again, let your imagination run wild to design and create a backyard everyone will admire.

The Pool Area

In the pool area, you can continue with flagstone or utilize fieldstone, another excellent choice of landscape construction stone normally used for retaining walls and other projects. It is easily cut to your specifications to make your project look as natural as possible. Both flagstone and fieldstone are less slippery when wet than either marble or slate making those a better selection for use around the pool area.

An Outdoor Kitchen

An amazing outdoor kitchen can be crafted from natural stone; however, you may decide to mix in some modular blocks for your retaining walls to cut some of the expense. Modular blocks are easier for the do-it-yourselfer to work with, so these are an excellent alternative. Whichever you use, natural stone or modular blocks, don’t forget to include some “fun” gadgets, such as a smoker, rotisserie, or wood-fired pizza oven!

A Traditional Outdoor Fireplace

If you already have a magnificent fire-pit and outdoor kitchen you may decide against the outdoor fireplace, but just in case you decide on the fireplace in addition or in place of one or both of the others, here are a few things to consider. Like the fire-pit, the outdoor fireplace can be an excellent center-piece for your family’s outdoor activities.The outdoor stone fireplace is like a piece of art. The high smokestack is an amazing eye-catcher, as well as an eye-saver because the smokestack draws the smoke up and away from your backyard party.

Posted on behalf of:
Culbreth Stone
Whitwell, TN 37397
423-930-8249

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The Benefits of Buying Stone Directly from a Quarry

August 10th, 2016 Posted in Natural Stone
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When purchasing any commodity, it is important to always get the best value. The same is true when purchasing stones for your landscaping projects.

It may be possible to spend much less than you expected going directly to the source. Purchasing anything from a distributor adds unnecessary expense due to additional handling. The same is true when purchasing stones, boulders, and gravel for your landscaping projects directly from the quarry.

There are many different stones in color and shape; therefore, it is wise to go to the quarry yourself and pick the stones, boulders, and gravel you need for the project you have in mind. Since the workers at the quarry work with the stone every day, it is most likely they know exactly where to look for what you need. The workers there can take you to the stones you have in mind and then you will be in a position to choose the ones you prefer, rather than taking a chance with a near blind internet or phone order.

Landscaping

Natural stones are the best elements for your landscaping projects. Natural stone can be split or cut for you right there at the quarry to provide the right shapes and sizes for your project. Additionally, natural stone requires less maintenance, or no maintenance at all and you can be certain you are getting a durable and long-lasting groundcover or material for a stone fireplace, smoker, or outdoor oven.

Gardening

In case you want to decorate your garden and not spend too much, consider gardening with stones. What many call “Xeriscaping” is the art of using natural stones and other material to eliminate or reduce the need for water or irrigation. This concept is widely promoted in areas where there is a lack of fresh water. However, it has caught on in many other areas as well, mainly due to its low maintenance, yet still reserves fresh water for human consumption.

Xeriscaping can be a suitable alternative to traditional gardens. It may sound confusing, but there are many beautiful stones at the quarry to build a low-maintenance rock garden. In addition, it a less expensive method to decorate your garden and make it look more attractive, with less maintenance.

Stone

When you visit a quarry, you will more than likely find as many stones as you need to complete your project. This will give you a chance to come up with what you are looking for, for your home garden. Going directly to the quarry yourself allows you to mix and match stones by color and pattern, with a side benefit of eliminating the middleman to save big money.

Posted on behalf of:
Alliance Stone
5420 Campground Rd
Cumming, GA 30040
(404) 759-0617

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