tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32734565457529528442024-03-08T06:13:18.556-08:00Attila's Landscaping 740-594-5279Making Athens beautiful since 1999.Attila's Landscapinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04691887787280817698noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3273456545752952844.post-81915041016942422622015-05-31T04:14:00.000-07:002014-03-04T18:13:04.399-08:00What people are saying about Attila<span style="color: #666600; font-family: arial;">"At the recommendation of a friend, I hired Attila to turn a front yard that was a thistle-filled chaos into a place of order and beauty.He is reliable, efficient, knowledgeable, and enormously competent. I count on him absolutely and am always delighted with both his suggestions and his results. My house is now truly surrounded with beauty because of Attila's steady, careful, thoughtful work. I wouldn't know what to do without him, and I recommend him highly to others." </span><br />
<span style="color: #666600; font-family: arial;">--Marsha Dutton</span><br />
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<span style="color: #006600;">"We'd been told by our neighbors that Attila was fabulous, so we called him. He came over immediately and gave us recommendations and we at once found out how knowledgeable, caring and willing to please he was. Now we have landscaping that we are proud of. Both my wife and I wholeheartedly recommend Attila's Landscaping!"</span><br />
<span style="color: #006600;">--John Gutekanst</span>Attila's Landscapinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04691887787280817698noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3273456545752952844.post-63925745292226465222015-05-14T08:33:00.000-07:002014-03-04T18:20:29.395-08:00What Attila's Landscaping Does<ul>
<li>spring and fall clean up</li>
<li>mulching</li>
<li>design and installation</li>
<li>regular maintenance</li>
<li>lawn mowing</li>
<li>tree pruning</li>
<li>lawn alternatives </li>
<li>small paving and wall projects</li>
<li>material delivery for do-it-yourself projects</li>
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Attila's Landscapinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04691887787280817698noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3273456545752952844.post-19517710825973087432014-03-04T19:03:00.000-08:002014-03-04T19:03:38.628-08:00The Making Athens Beautiful Blog: Monthly Maintenance For A Yard That Always Looks Great No matter how much you invest in landscaping, your yard will continue to look good only if it's maintained regularly. Beds need to be weeded and mulched, shrubs need to be sheared, spent blossoms need to be snipped, and trees need to be pruned for everything to look their best. That's where my monthly maintenance plan comes in; I'll get the yard in shape, then I'll come back once a month for the rest of the growing season to keep up on the initial work. By having the weeding and other maintenance done frequently, your yard never gets out of hand with weeds or scruffy looking plants. For some small yards, the monthly input required is less than an hour of my time, but even for larger yards, the cost of regular maintenance is modest; it's certainly cheaper than having a yard fall into chaos after not doing anything for a long time and then having to use a pick-axe just to dig out a weed. With the monthly maintenance plan, you can leave everything to me and know the yard will always look good.Attila's Landscapinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04691887787280817698noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3273456545752952844.post-3009192624088173702009-05-13T07:49:00.000-07:002014-03-04T18:21:02.112-08:00The Making Athens Beautiful Blog: Getting It Done This YearWhen spring arrives it’s time to start thinking about the year’s landscaping projects. All the stuff you were thinking about getting done last year that never happened – make it happen this year. The project you started on your own last summer but never finished – it’s clear that you just don’t have the time to do it yourself. I can help.<br />
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Whether you want an entirely new yard or someone to keep your place weeded and mowed, give me a call and we can discuss how to make your yard look its best.<br />
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<br />Attila's Landscapinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04691887787280817698noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3273456545752952844.post-24621174378225421032009-05-12T16:56:00.000-07:002014-03-04T18:15:01.816-08:00The Making Athens Beautiful Blog: Shrub TrimmingIf you want your shrubs to look dense and to fit into the space allotted for them, regular shearing is a must; once a year is a good rule of thumb.<br />
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First of all, the time of year when you trim is important for shrubs with showy flowers. Shearing should be done soon after the major blooming is done. If you wait more than a few weeks after blooming, you run the risk of cutting off the formations for next year’s flowers. It’s a shame to have a shrub planted for its blooms not have any flowers for a season. Though the plant won’t be harmed, a badly timed shearing will deprive you (and the bees) of the flowers you’re looking forward to. <br />
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When to trim many evergreens or deciduous shrubs prized more for foliage is not as important – but the tool used for the shearing matters. I never use motorized trimmers. They’re a blunt instrument, and the blades get so hot they can burn as they cut. Old-fashioned hand shears are what I use. They allow more precision and don’t burn the shrub. Plus they’re quiet and don’t pollute, unlike the electric or gas powered tools.<br />
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Some shearing jobs demand just a gentle snipping, but sometimes cutting a lot off is called for – if a shrub is blocking a walkway or a door for example. Some shrubs can handle a major cutting; some will be scarred for life or just die. It’s important to know how particular species respond, which is why calling a pro is a good idea before performing major shrub surgery yourself.Attila's Landscapinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04691887787280817698noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3273456545752952844.post-17414804892452100042009-05-10T07:27:00.000-07:002014-03-04T18:21:57.500-08:00The Making Athens Beautiful Blog: Selective WeedingHere's a way to get free flowers; just let them grow!<br />
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A trick that I employ with some of my regular yard maintenance clients (and in my own home garden) is what I call "selective weeding." This means I play favorites with the plants that grow wild in strategic places, like an otherwise empty spot in a shrub bed. For example, next to my patch of blueberry bushes in my home garden, wild violets grow well. They used to be mixed up with random grasses and dandelions, but I've been pulling those for about a year. In that time, the violets have taken over this spot and now I have a patch of lush ground cover with purple flowers in spring.<br />
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This takes longer than digging up weeds and buying flowers at a nursery, but this approach has advantages. It's cheap - and since you're selecting wild plants, they're super tough, requiring no watering or special attention other than yanking their competitors from your selected area.<br />
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I have selective weeded for other plants as well, including lambsquarters, (an edible also known as wild spinach) wild strawberries, (an excellent groundcover) and wood sorrel (wild salad green with a green apple flavor).<br />
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Remember, some plants that come up on their own are worth keeping!Attila's Landscapinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04691887787280817698noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3273456545752952844.post-66756966166313875942009-03-04T17:47:00.000-08:002014-03-04T18:26:50.943-08:00The Making Athens Beautiful Blog: Selective Weeding<link href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5CMANDEL%7E1%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtml1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml" rel="File-List"></link><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> </w:Compatibility> <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><style> <!-- /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} </style> <br />
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Free flowers. Here’s a way to get ‘em. Just let them grow!</div>
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A trick that I employ with some of my regular yard maintenance clients (and at my own house) is something I call “selective weeding.” This means that I play favorites with the plants that grow wild in good places, like an otherwise empty spot in a shrub bed. My goal is to encourage growth of a desirable wild plant to fill that space. For example, next to my patch of blueberry bushes in my home garden, wild violets were doing well. They were mixed up with dandelions and random grasses, which I have been pulling for about a year. In that time, the violets have taken over this spot and now I have a lovely patch of lush ground cover and purple flowers. Obviously, this takes longer than just digging up all the weeds, buying a few flats of flowers at a nursery and planting them, but this approach has advantages. It’s cheap – and since you’re selecting wild plants, they’re super tough, requiring no watering or special attention other than yanking their competitors from your selected area. </div>
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Other than selective weeding for violets, I’ve also done this for lambsquarters, (an edible also known as wild spinach) wild strawberries, (an excellent groundcover) and wood sorrel (delicious wild salad green with delicate yellow flowers). Remember, not everything that comes up on its own is undesirable!</div>
Attila's Landscapinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04691887787280817698noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3273456545752952844.post-90683605928449807352009-03-02T17:09:00.000-08:002014-03-04T18:23:05.869-08:00<i><b>Attila's Landscaping is an owner-operated company serving Athens, Ohio since 1999.</b></i>Attila's Landscapinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04691887787280817698noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3273456545752952844.post-8163403697547606192009-03-01T17:43:00.000-08:002009-05-03T14:10:35.775-07:00The Making Athens Beautiful Blog (May 2009) Chemical Free Lawn Care vs.The Dominant Grass ParadigmCHEMICAL WARRIORS<br />As a landscaper, I understand that people want their lawn to look good. A lush, deep green, uniform and weed free lawn is the standard; or as I like to call it, the Dominant Grass Paradigm. So how do you get a lawn that looks like the ones at an exclusive golf course? Unfortunately, it’s usually achieved by the landscaper’s (or home owner’s) application of toxic chemicals.<br /><br />WHAT’S A LAWN FOR ANYWAY?<br />Think of your yard as a room in your house. What do you use it for? You wouldn’t put a bed in the middle of the kitchen because it’s impractical. But often, a lawn is impractical too, because it requires such high maintenance. I’ve been telling my clients and friends for years, you should only have a big lawn if you have little kids, play a lot of badminton or you have a dog. As a play area, a lawn makes sense. But if the only time you step on your grass is when you’re pushing a mower, consider reducing the size of your lawn or replacing it with a more practical, beautiful (and chemical-free) landscape.<br /><br />A CHEMICAL-FREE LAWN<br />“But I want a lawn!” you say. And you can have it. Just do it sensibly. First, let go of the notion that your grass has to be “perfect.” Make the commitment to not dump toxic products on your property. If you don’t have deep topsoil rich in organic matter to grow grass, get it. Keep your grass mowed high; this helps retain moisture and discourage weed seed germination. Water infrequently and deeply to encourage deeper root growth.<br /><br />EMBRACE DIVERSITY<br />Diversity is regularly discussed as desirable in a social context, but less so in a biological context. What’s wrong with having clover, wild strawberry and violet mixed up in the lawn? Why is the dandelion practically considered a biological terrorist? Why is it that we are taught to kill what wants to grow on its own and force to grow what normally wouldn’t? Why is tall, un-uniform grass so offensive? Are we trying to make our lives more difficult?<br /><br />We need to change the Dominant Grass Paradigm. The lawn pictured on the bag of weed killer should not be the standard. Has a landscaper ever told you that?<br /><br />ONE PERSON’S WEED IS ANOTHER’S SALAD<br />People talk about weeds and noxious plants with authority and objectivity, but “weed” is a value judgment. People tell me all the time to “get rid of the weeds, but leave the plants,” as if the weeds weren’t also plants. My old Random House College Dictionary tells me this:<br /><br />weed – 1. a valueless, troublesome, or noxious plant growing wild, esp. one that grows profusely or on cultivated ground to the exclusion or injury of the desired crop.<br /><br />No plant is valueless. Let’s take the much-maligned dandelion for example. The new, tender leaves are excellent in salad, high in vitamins A and C. The flowers are beautiful, and can be used to make everything from fritters to wine. Yet I saw a big sign at a garden shop commanding customers to “KILL DANDELIONS NOW!” We’re being brainwashed.<br /><br />Almost any plant can be considered a weed. I look at it this way; there are no bad plants, only bad places for certain plants. Take wild violets for example. I love violets, and I nurture a patch in my garden at home. But when a violet grows in between my strawberries, that violet is a weed, and I yank it, because in that place I value making big berries more than a ground cover with little purple flowers.<br /><br />The word “noxious” is often attached to the word “weed.” In the spirit of precise language (and landscaping), I turned to my dictionary once again:<br /><br />noxious – 1. harmful or injurious to health or physical well being.<br /><br />Harmful or injurious to health or physical well being? That sounds more like the chemicals people are dumping on their lawns than the plants they’re trying to eradicate.<br /><br /><br />NORMAL IS OVER-RATED<br />People often plant grass because it’s normal. It’s just what ya do. Plus, it doesn’t require a lot of imagination or artistic skill. But we can do better. In place of turf, why not have deep beds full of trees, shrubs, flowers and edibles? You can have a yard that not only looks better, but one that also provides shade, habitat and food for critters (and yourself).<br /><br /><br />POISONING YOURSELF<br />I grew up in a suburb of Cleveland, where the Dominant Grass Paradigm has a firm grip on the populace. There used to be a so-called lawn-care company called Barefoot Grass. On the sides of their trucks’ chemical tanks was a big picture of happy barefoot children playing with a lovely dog on perfect turf. A worker in rubber boots would spray god-knows-what on my neighbor’s grass, and leave a little cardboard warning sign in the grass; the international “no” symbol over top of a crude picture of a kid and a dog. Even as a child who hadn’t incorporated the word “irony” into my vocabulary yet, this didn’t seem right. Because it isn’t. Google the name of any chemical herbicide, pesticide, or fungicide coupled with the word “toxicity.” You’ll quickly find out that any positive benefits of these chemicals are hugely outweighed by the negative consequences: water contamination, exposure to carcinogens and endocrine disruptors, for starters.<br /><br />HOW ‘BOUT A NICE WHIFF OF DDT?<br />Unless it’s forced to admit otherwise through extensive investigative and/or legal means, a chemical company will always tell you that its products are safe. Don’t be naïve. Herbicides and pesticides are a multi-billion dollar a year industry. Chemical companies have a huge financial incentive to promote the Dominant Grass Paradigm so they can sell you all their toxic products. We can’t look to the chemical companies for the truth about their products. We can’t count on weak environmental laws to protect us. We can’t count on government agencies like the EPA to ensure safety of these products. Chemical companies do register their products with the EPA, but here’s a good point made on the website beyondpesticides.org:<br /><br />*<span style="font-style: italic;">EPA does not evaluate the health and environmental effects of actual pesticide formulations sold on the shelf. Data submitted to the EPA also does not account for low-dose effects, synergistic effects with inerts or combined exposure to more than one pesticide at a time.</span><br /><br />What we can all do right now is use (un)common sense and not poison ourselves by dumping toxic products in our yards.<br /><br /><br />Additional reading:<br />http://www.richsoil.com/lawn-care.jsp<br />http://www.beyondpesticides.org/lawnAttila's Landscapinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04691887787280817698noreply@blogger.com