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By JOSHUA LOVEALL 23 Mar, 2016

Hiring a desirable landscaper will make completing your landscape a much easier task. If you create objectives and properly layout your plans for your landscape design you will be able to get specific costs. Here are some suggestions on how to hire a landscaping company the right way.

1. What do you really want or require from your landscape design company?

Some yards are beautiful as they are, but the homeowners in some cases just want to bring in new appeal to their properties so they opt to have a landscape job performed. Be sure that you have already identified what you want in the landscape design. This should be in your preparatory plan before you even speak to an expert company. Once you have your plans you can present them to the specialist to see if everything will work and is possible. The blog on joshuatreescape.com is a fantastic place to start for your landscaping ideas.

2. Determine a firm budget.

Next you should prep your budget. Will your desired garden be feasible? Is it practical or do you need to make some adjustments or trade-offs? The best thing is that you know what you really want and you are able to identify options if your budget fails to accommodate your vision. With the plans and budget in place things tend to be easier when negotiating with the specialist. The landscaping company will make sure that this project will meet your budget and ensure that it will look closely to what you are anticipating. Be sure to get accurate measurements so that building materials do not accidentally go over budget. Some professionals like to give you the best price in the quote, but find out later that they can’t provide all the material at the quote given. Which brings us to the next task, get references!

3. Get referrals.

Know the landscape design company that you are contacting and negotiate with them. Gauge their level of expertise and the quality services by asking for pictures or tours of their previous assignments. You should also ask for references and their professional affiliations. Make sure the company is a legitimate company and that everything is written down. Without written proof of the agreed upon professional services it is difficult to confirm if you are not happy in the end.

Conclusion

It all boils down to thorough preparation and records. If you have a strong plan and ask the right questions you will end up with an exceptional landscape. In Northern Arizona, The Joshua Tree and Landscape Company is the premiere landscaping company.

By JOSHUA LOVEALL 05 Mar, 2016

Northern Arizona Landscaping Ideas

A lot of Arizona households are bewildered by the project of landscaping their properties and gardens. They may be uncertain of the best approach to get plants to grow in this kind of a considerably warm, desert environment while avoiding the usage of lots of water. Fortunately, there are lots of unique plants indigenous to this distinct desert environment that can endure quite well in rainless conditions. When paired with properly designed hardscape components such as a pool, fire pit or built-in grill anybody can have the yard of their dreams.The Joshua Tree & Landscape Company will assist you in choosing paving materials, indigenous plants, watering systems, exterior furnishings, and other components ideal for your desert garden. Armed with the ideal desert landscaping ideas and landscaping tips, creating a flourishing desert garden will be simpler than you think.

You can start by taking a look at your residence as an opportunity opposed to a problem. With warm summers and moderate winters, the desert in Arizona is the most well-suited area with regards to a year-round outdoors lifestyle. Think of just how you and your relatives could enjoy spending time in your backyard. Do you imagine your kids going for a swim in a new pool, or your pals rounded up around a fire pit? Would you want to have the opportunity to throw incredible barbecues? No matter what your passion it can be accomplished with the assistance of our landscaping design experts at The Joshua Tree & Landscape Company.

If you live in Sedona, Flagstaff or Prescott, Arizona, then you are located in a desert where green lawns are basically not viable. However, if you think about desert landscape design approaches with materials and plant life that work together with your natural environments then you can still get imaginative and let your personality shine!

Some Excellent Landscaping Tips for Arizona

The techniques to productive desert landscaping are expertise and planning. To have a lively, useful backyard landscaping experience which also works with low water and maintenance conditions, you will have to make informed decisions about your landscaping design.

It is truly quite easy to develop dynamic desert landscape style goals when you keep essential factors in mind.

For example, color is very essential to any desert landscaping plan, due to the fact that the earth is generally rocky or sandy and brown or gray in dry environments. Any color must be introduced into the backyard landscape design with intent. Warm red and yellow lowering succulents such as aloe or ice plants create excellent focal factors and can be potted or sown into the ground. Mexican poppies and other wildflowers draw in species of bees, which are a terrific asset when developing a desert landscape design.

Folks who are brand-new to Sedona, Flagstaff, or Prescott, Arizona commonly have a tough time adapting to the regional garden style. Because of the extreme heat and lack of water, yards are certainly not a typical sight. Rather, it is common to have a mixture of desert appropriate shrubs, succulents and cacti planted in areas of gravel. If you ‘d like to find out even more about low-water-use landscape plants, the Arizona Municipal Water Users Association offers an online database of more than 200 plants. Our experienced landscape designers at Joshua Tree landscaping company are acquainted with desert conditions and can help you in reaching a backyard landscape which will make it throughout the hot weather and won’t waste water.

The materials you select for your desert landscaping design can be natural or synthetic, but must work well with your plant life. Rocks, stone, pebbles, sand and also concrete are the best landscaping ideas since they require no water, little maintenance and are virtually indestructible. No matter what design you’re going for, modern minimalism or a cozy desert retreat, a desert landscape design plan is within reach. The experts at The Joshua Tree & Landscape Company are here to help with all of your landscape needs, from landscaping tips to landscaping costs our company will aid you through every part of the process to help you accomplish your dream landscape.

By JOSHUA LOVEALL 20 Feb, 2016

Joshua Tree & Landscape Company’s staff includes professional arborists to aid clients with incorporating trees and other woody plants into their landscaping design. Our arborists are trained in the art and science of planting, taking care of, and maintaining these specific types of plants. Take advantage of our services and let us help highlight the hidden potential in your yard!

Trees and Your Landscaping Plans

When it comes to your landscape design ideas, trees have many requirements and benefits. The selection and placement of trees needs to be carefully considered in order to function as design elements. This can play a huge role in energy conservation as well. Whether you’re looking to retain cool air or maximize winter solar heating, trees can be selected and positioned to do just that. From a design perspective, trees are typically the major plant structure in a landscape and create the framework for your yard. They also contribute architectural form and organization to the space in your landscape. While these plants are aesthetically appealing, they are full of function and utility. Obviously they are fantastic for shade and but they also help to reduce noise pollution. A dense area of plants and trees eliminates traveling sounds like cars on the road while making your property more private. In addition, trees require more room. Remember to take into consideration how much space there is for the trees to grow and root. The plants need room to grow and limited areas to root in will cause trees to not live as long due to poor soil quality.

Landscaping Ideas for Your Front Yard

Adding trees and other woody plants can help to give your home a rural or modern landscape design. Trees can also be used within your backyard or garden landscape design. Our team can accomplish different effects with our planting methods. Some of these include using an individual tree as the feature of a landscape, group planting to create a unit appearance, or mass planting to create foliage. Trees are great ways to create a canopy for outdoor living in our area. They also create dimension and define space. There is an abundance of options when it comes to selecting trees for your landscape. Depending on what you are trying to achieve with them, we can help direct you to the ideal types for your yard and region.

Depending on your region here are some of the popular trees we recommend for our different climates.

The Guajillo is a perfect option for area with limited water. When the tree is mature it can reach up to fifteen feet while providing an effective way to screen in your yard. This tree grows at a moderate rate and mimics the shape of a vase.

The Leather-Leaf Acacia is an ideal tree for large containers or small spaces. It only requires low amounts of water while growing up to ten feet tall. This plant adds color to your landscape during the spring and summer with yellow puffballs.

The next plant grows to a towering thirty feet and only requires minimal water. Unlike the previous two plants, the Shoestring Acacia has a fast growth rate. It is important to avoid over watering this tall and full tree.

The Cascalote is a beautiful option that has colorful seedpods that will bloom during the winter! The tree grows slowly to moderately and will also take a vase shape. During it’s maturity the Cascalote will reach fifteen feet tall to fifteen feet wide. This plant is ideal for sitting aside a patio or garden.

If you are interested in a shrub-looking tree for a natural looking landscape check out the Foothills Palo Verde. This tree offers character and mass. It grows to be fifteen feet tall by fifteen feet wide while not requiring large amounts of water. During the mid to late spring, this plant will bloom with yellow flowers. It retains a lime green foliage color.

Texas Mountain Laurels are fantastic garden trees. The grow to be eight feet tall by six feet wide and bloom in the spring with gorgeous purple clusters of flowers. They are very fragrant and can be grown as a small tree.

The Arizona Rosewood is a nice style for framing. It is the native alternative to Oleander and it can be grown as a small tree. It’s form is upright and it has a slow rate at which it grows. In the early summer this tree will display white clusters of flowers and can reach ten feet high by eight feet wide.

Trees help to frame and mask views of properties. While they provide functionality and benefits, they also come in a wide variety of different styles and sizes. If you are interested in addressing your property with trees, Joshua Tree & Landscape is ready to help you with your landscape design.

By JOSHUA LOVEALL 20 Jan, 2016

Winter is the coolest season and during this time of year it is ideal to prepare and plan your landscaping for the upcoming warmer seasons. This season requires a couple tasks for preparation and maintenance of. By tending to your landscape during the season you can avoid many future problems and reduce landscaping costs! Here are some of our landscaping tips to help you preserve your landscape.

Landscaping Tips for Your Yard

Pruning is the removal of dead or overgrown branches or stems to increase a plants fruitfulness and growth. While surveying the landscaping design in your yard, you may notice frost damaged plants or plants that seem to be suffering in the cold climate. In these situations do not prune because often times the damaged areas are offering protection to the plants and tress. Pruning these plants will affect future healing and growth in the warmer seasons. It is best to wait until the leaves are off the trees or the spring to address them and prune. However, when dealing with perennial plants, prune dead stems to encourage blooming. Perennials are plants that live for more than two years with little or no woody growth. Bloodflowers, Blue Flax, and Wine Cups are just a few examples of these types of plants.

Fertilizing helps soil to become more fertile by adding feed and compost to it in your backyard landscape. Spring will be the ideal time to fertilize container and landscape plants so be sure to hold off from doing this in the winter. The only plants that may need to be fertilized are cold season plants in containers or the base of trees. Covering the base of trees with good organic mulch will help to contain moisture and nutrients in the soil during the cold weather. It will also decrease heat gain in the warmer seasons. Be sure not to place the mulch directly against the trunks of your trees. This can create an opportunity for fungi to grow and can damage or kill the tree.

Irrigation aids plant growth with the application of water in dry areas or during periods of inadequate rainfall. During this cold season be sure to turn off your irrigation timer but remember to saturate the yard if there has been a drought. Depending on the type of plant and its size it is best for you to follow “The 1,2,3, Rule of Thumb”. Small plants that cover the ground need a watering depth of one foot. Shrubs should be watered to a depth of two feet. Larger trees will respond best to a watering depth of three feet. In the event that you have just transplanted or planted young plants be sure to attend to them with water much more frequently. This will ensure that the plants will settle in the ground and will minimize transplant shock. This season provides the ideal time to maintain your irrigation system as well. Since it is not as hot outside, you will be more comfortable. If you discover broken sprinkler heads be sure to replace them because they will waste water when the system is up and running. In addition, it is important to replace them with the same brand for the most efficient water application. Thoroughly check your heads and drip systems for leaks or plugs.

Our Suggestions for Landscaping Ideas During the Winter

While the cooler season may be considered to be a dormant time for vegetation, there are numerous solutions for foliage and color in your landscape! For example, cacti and succulent plants are ideal for the cold and harsh winds during the season. These plants tend to be thick so they are great for foliage but they also retain water in desert climates. Lastly, succulent plants can thrive in poor soil conditions. While they provide foliage, succulent plants make great companion plants to the following options:

Chuparosa, Brittle Bush, Pea Bush, Fairy Duster, Lilac Vine, Trailing Gazania, Desert Lavender, White Plumbago, Purple Prickly Pear, Damianita, Firecracker Penstemon, Angelita Daisy, Golden Barrel, Desert Marigold, Aloe and Blue Euphorbia.

Our final suggestion as landscape company is lighting. Lighting will highlight the beauty of your landscape even in the winter. As a result, your home will appear more attractive and you will be able to enjoy the beauty from inside while staying warm. We offer a number of lighting solutions and techniques. Let us help accentuate the appeal of your yard with our landscaping services!

By JOSHUA LOVEALL 06 Jan, 2016

Ar ~ bor ~ ist (-ist) n. An Arborist is a professional who is trained in the art and science of planting, taking care of, and maintaining trees and additional woody plants.

The title “ARBORIST” refers to a person who has acquired the specialized competence to correctly and efficiently care for trees and other woody plants. Arborists are typically hired to assess the state of trees, produce suggestions for their care, and then provide services required such as pruning, fertilization, and pest and illness management. Most importantly, the arborist is an extremely qualified specialist who recognizes his or her obligation to preserve the significant worth trees can contribute to life and property.

When To Employ an Arborist

TREE PRUNING – Arborists can determine what type of trimming is best for the individual tree to preserve its wellness and improve its appearance and safety. Likewise, if pruning requires a ladder and a power saw, hire a professional.

TREE EXTRACTION – Arborists can help establish whether a tree should be removed, but normally this is a last resort. Arborists have the abilities and tools to safely and efficiently eliminate trees. Tree removal is dangerous and should be done by a tree care professional.

URGENT TREE CARE – Storms can create major damage to limbs or entire trees. These trees have to be removed or trimmed back to minimize the long-term damage to the tree as well as surrounding property. This is hazardous work and an arborist must be hired to execute this task safely.

PLANTING – Planting the ideal tree in the right location is important for the long term health of the tree. Arborists can suggest the ideal tree for the intended place and help in proper planting.

There are numerous other solutions that arborists offer when needed for example, fertilization, pest control, cabling, aeration, and lightning protection. Consulting with an arborist and building a plant health care plan will help ascertain when these services are required.

It’s always best to talk with and hire a professional when creating plans for your trees.

Joshua Tree and Landscape Company has a team of licensed arborists and supplies the following Tree Care Services:

Tree removal:

In case a tree ends up being a threat or is required to be eliminated we have the expertise and equipment to carry out the toughest jobs. Our greatest concern is safety! This assures not just the protection of your property but most importantly you and our employees.

Pruning:

Depending on which pruning technique is selected, our employees always use the proper pruning techniques to accomplish the best results. No matter if we are just eliminating deadwood from the canopy of a tree, trimming to encourage good structural growth or drastically pruning a tree to minimize its canopy, we constantly comply with the industry standards as well as go above and beyond the standard.

Fertilizing:

Every tree needs proper nourishment to survive. In the event a tree is in decline, significantly stressed or perhaps healthy, we can care for your trees to extend lifespan, revive wellness, or simply preserve its beauty and strength.

Installation:

When the proper tree and place has been decided on for installation we will plant the tree for you to provide your investment the very best growing condition possible.

Consultations:

We can suggest a yearly program to preserve your trees well being which will offer you the peace of mind knowing the beauty and value of your property will not be altered by loss of trees. Frequently a tree becomes stressed and the cause is unidentified, that’s when you need an arborist to speak with you to find the reason and prescribe the proper treatments to strengthen the vascular system of the tree and recover its health.

Contact us today for a complimentary consultation!

By JOSHUA LOVEALL 23 Dec, 2015

It’s December again already!

In the Arizona climate, citrus fruits begin to ripen now. Change in color is due to chillier temperatures but might not always indicate sweetness. Ensure your fruit is ripe before picking and you’ll have a tasty and natural stocking stuffer right from your garden!!

Speaking of fruit trees, deciduous trees must be pruned now through February. These include mulberries, pecans, elms, ash, desert willows, chaste trees, stone fruits and others. It’s extremely important to ensure your tree care is up to speed to provide a long and healthy life for your trees. When you prune

correctly you keep your trees happy and they are going to continue to produce for you year after year! Let’s discuss the very best methods of tree pruning for optimum tree care.

Trees in the wild are never pruned, yet they normally have long healthy lives. In a natural environment, their branches develop a balance and form typical of the species. It is when trees are introduced into a metropolitan circumstance that proper pruning becomes so important. Pruning is both a skill and an art.

Why Prune A Tree?

There are really just a couple of valid reasons to prune a tree in the urban landscape:

Stimulate tree’s wellness
Reduce hazards to people
Train a young tree
Increase or decrease flowers/fruit

Identify the purpose for pruning your deciduous shade tree. Resist pruning due to the fact that the tree is developing quickly, or because the neighbors are doing work on their trees. Understand that pruning always causes a wound and usually brings about some reaction in the tree:

Loss of leaves and ability to create food from sunshine
Potential entry points for decay organisms
A rise in sprouting
Decreased stamina
Vulnerability to pest problems

Determine whether the desired benefit will bypass the adverse effect on the tree.

When to Prune A Deciduous Tree

Typically, pruning has a greater advantage if it is performed while the tree is younger. Wounds are smaller sized and recovery is more accelerated.

Deciduous trees are those that drop their leaves and experience an inactive period in reaction to cold (and sometimes drought). The very best time of year to prune is during this dormancy– when all the foliage has fallen. Typically this happens from mid-December to the last part of January (or further, in increased elevations). All pruning ought to be accomplished before buds present signs of plumping. Why?

Less chance of ripping bark
Less risk of leaking sap
Extra time for healing before bud break
Easier to see limb framework
Less likelihood of promoting excess growth

Equipment Required for Pruning

Limbs of different sizes will be extracted throughout pruning. Matching the limb size to the hand tool will make the work go more easily. Buy the very best tool you can afford. Generally, you get what you pay for.

For limbs more than 1 inch (2.5 cm) in diameter, use a pruning saw. There are several available styles. High quality forged stainless steel is strongest. Those having blades on both sides of the teeth are going to cut efficiently on both forward and backward strokes. Models with blades that narrow at the end will permit easy accessibility to tight spots.
Pruning loppers are practical for limbs that are about the size of a finger. Blades that cut similar to scissors (“bypass” type) are going to make cleaner cuts. Versions are offered that have gears for efficient movement, hollow handles for reduced weight, and top quality steel edges.

Hand pruning shears are best for branches less than 1/2 inch (1.25 cm). Left handed-versions are easily available. Those with stainless steel bypass blades, and grips that fit the hand will trim efficiently with less effort.

There is always the likelihood of spreading a health problem from one plant to another. When pruning a number of plants, it is wise to disinfest your tools between plants. Dip or coat the blades with a 10 % bleach solution or using alcohol. Immediately after using pruning tools, meticulously wash, dry, and glaze the blades with a coat of light oil to prevent rusting. If kept sharp and clean, good tools are going to provide years of service.

We know this is a very busy time of year, but your trees continue to need you! If you are in need of professional assistance this season for pruning give us a ring at Joshua Tree and Landscape Company where we offer complete tree care.

Happy Holidays!

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