When you bought your current home, did you inherit a landscape that doesn’t fit your style? Or perhaps you may have started with a poor design and now it’s become an eyesore. Or maybe those shrubs were planted too close together and now look choked and overgrown.

Over time, landscapes can become outdated and overgrown. If your home’s landscape was installed ten or more years ago, it’s probably time to make some adjustments.

Do you have plants blocking a window or a walkway?  Maybe your gardener didn’t know that cute little Pygmy Date palm was going to become an 8′ tall tree. Knowing a plant’s characteristics will prevent you from having that plant block your view out a window in a few years time. And choosing the correct plants will ensure you will have the proper shapes, colors and combinations of texture in your landscape.

When a plant dies, do you simply fill the space with whatever catches your eye at your nearest big box store? If you do, your landscape will eventually become a jumbled hodgepodge of plants and colors that lacks a unified theme or coherent design.

Some plants can be rejuvenated with proper pruning while others are better off being replaced. I’ve got a discerning eye and the experience to evaluate your plantings and tell you what can be fixed and what needs to be replaced.

Appropriate plant selection, correct spacing and proper planting techniques are all key components in establishing healthy, vigorous plants.

Planting should entail more than simply sticking a shrub or perennial into the hole you’ve just dug. All our plant installations receive the proper backfill, a mixture of your existing soil and one or more amendments depending on your particular situation. Those amendments could include: compost, peat moss, nitrolized redwood shavings, pumice, decomposed granite or gypsum – depending on the condition of your soil and the plant’s requirements. We use the original unamended soil in the bottom of the hole and use the amended mix for the top 6″ of backfill. Native plants are the exception to this rule, they prefer to be planted in the original, unamended soil.

Some of the benefits of mulch include:

• mulch retains moisture by limiting evaporation – crucial given our ongoing drought
• mulch releases nutrients and organic material into the soil as it slowly breaks down
• mulch prevents soil crusting and aids water absorption
• mulch encourages earthworms – which improve the soil’s structure and increase nutrient availability
• mulch prevents or reduces erosion
• mulch helps to control weeds
• and finally, a mulched surface looks much better than bare soil

If you maintain a 3″ layer of mulch on your beds, in a few year’s time your clay will be transformed into a more loamy, organic soil that your plants will love.

We use a 9 month slow release fertilizer to ensure your new plants get off to a good start.

I go to growers and nurseries in the Conejo Valley to hand select the best plants for your project.

Unlike some contractors, we only take on one job at a time. Once we start your project, we will be there until it’s completed.

A well landscaped yard improves your home’s curb appeal and makes it stand out in your neighborhood.

Craig Dodson Landscaping can transform your yard into an inviting and appealing space. Trust your property to a landscape professional and call us today to schedule a free consultation.