True love. Self respect. A healthier body. Redder berries. Brighter vibrant-green leaves. While you are inside, busily resolving to be a better person, your plants are also quietly reflecting, scheming and setting their goals for 2012. Maybe this will be the year the Hellebores finally take over the Monkey Grass in the shady garden war. Perhaps old man Vitex will outshine the young, brawny Crape Myrtle in the summer’s gaudiest battle. Wonder if the hydrangeas will bloom this summer as well as the camellias have this winter. Who will triumph – rain or rock?

Winter time is a lovely time of dormancy and self-reflection for all living creatures. These same principles apply to your outside dwellings as well. Our mild, southern, January afternoons are the perfect opportunity to take stock of your landscape. Do your overgrown shrubs to reshaped back into new life? Now is the perfect time for hard pruning. Does your garden have good bones? Now is the perfect time to plant a tree. Does your landscape have interesting and flowing traffic patterns? Now is the perfect time for a new walkway, wall or patio.

Is your new year’s resolution to have a more functional and exceptionally beautiful yard? Need help with accomplishing your vision? Visit Shady Grove Landscape Company’s web site to schedule your design appointment right away. Last year, Shady Grove was booked 12 weeks out in spring. Happy New Year!

Before:


After:

Before

After

This year, Shady Grove Landscape Company took on the arduous task of coming up with a new logo and branding for our company.  As much as we loved our old one, the colors just screamed 1997 and we all agreed that the tree was too generic and bonsai looking to be evocative of a shady grove.

Along with a new logo, the tagline, ‘Vision accomplished’ was developed as Shady Grove’s new marketing tool. When we sat down to work on the renovation of the trademarks of our company, part of the creative process was to give a name to what we do.  What an assignment!  Think about your job.  Can you sum up the complexity of what you do every day in a handful of words?  After months of work and countless false starts, we believe that this two-word phrase really sums up our goal:  Vision Accomplished – To have the vision and then to make it happen.

The creative process really is just that.  A PROCESS.  Three talented artists contributed their time and efforts towards the goal of a new branding for Shady Grove.  Just for fun, here are a few of the ones on the cutting floor.  We are still considering putting the leaf flames on the side of the trucks!

** Please note that all of the images are property of the artist and Shady Grove Landscape Company.  May not be reproduced without express written permission by both.

The Zen art of walking in a circle (and then back out again) promotes creativity, peaceful feeling and allows for a simple meditation.   The photo above depicts a classic Labyrinth (designed & installed by Shady Grove spring 2011) specifically constructed for that reason.

NOT!  Actually, this neat-looking idea was born from a frustrating

and common problem that we hear from you all everyday:

‘Grass will not grow in my backyard!’

Turfgrass v. Shade

Pergola, deck, swing, front porch, steps, or bench. Choose your wood and WORK IT! Danny Cook and our resident wood-workers make magic from screws and boards.

Pine, cedar, ipe, or teak. Bask in the sun or protect yourself from it. Enjoy the outdoors in a new room or create a destination in your garden. Take a look at our wood working page for more information.

Back in December, and just like every year, I started to receive calls from people asking how to winterize their irrigation systems. It is a very important step in protecting an irrigation system from broken pipes and costly repairs. Unlike most liquids water expands by 10% when it freezes. And since most irrigation systems are installed with PVC, when the battle happens between the PVC and the freezing water – the ice always wins. The chances of this possible damage can be avoided with some very simple steps. It is very important that you complete this checklist when the temperature is still above freezing.

1. Turn off the supply to the irrigation system. Do not confuse the irrigation supply with the supply to your house. If you are not sure which one this is, turn on a spigot on the front of your house. Then turn the supply valve to the off position.  This may vary depending on what type of valve is in your system. If you have a gate valve turn the handle clock wise until you can’t turn it anymore. If have a ball valve the handle should be perpendicular to the line when closed. The water should still be running out of the spigot on the front of your house when you close this valve. This step will relieve the pressure in the system.
2. Now, go to your electrical irrigation controller. This step will vary depending on the brand of controller you have. Turn every zone on manually for a small amount of time.  One minute should do it. Remember, no water will come out of the heads because you already turned the water off. This step further ensures that there is no pressure in the system. If your system does not have a controller you will need to complete this step manually at each valve. I hope you know where they all are located!
3. While you are still at your controller unplug it from the wall.  You can leave it plugged in and save your programming but why waste electricity. If you do decide to leave it plugged in, remember to turn the dial to “OFF”.  You do not want the systems to come on with no water running through the valves. Possible damage could result. You will need to reprogram your controller in the spring if you disconnect the power in this step.
4. If you have a drain on your system now is the time to open it.
5. Your system is in great shape at this point but you could go
   further for more security if you choose. If so, open each valve
   box and fill the hole with newspaper or insulation. These will
   need to be removed in the spring. You can also remove each irrigation head and drain the water. This final step is not really necessary in the South.

Your money and your irrigation system should be in great shape for the winter.  Now go inside and enjoy the hot fire and a cup of hot chocolate!

Have you been considering replacing your high maintenance and finicky fescue with luscious Zeon Zoysia? Or replacing your sunny front yard full of well-established and happy weeds with golf-course-worthy Tift 419 Bermuda?

In our many years experience, the ideal time to install sod is in April and May.  Shady Grove’s technique is different from the rest.  First, we visit your property twice in a 10 day period to spray non-selective herbicide.  Next, we have a top-tilling machine that removes existing roots and smooths the grade.  Then we spread a mix of sand and composted topsoil to improve drainage and add nutrients.  After installing the best quality sod available, we power roll the newly installed grass to flatten seams and ensure proper contact with soil.  Finally, we offer irrigation, weed/feed and landscape maintenance packages that will care for your new turf.  Who said grass is a hassle?

Because the ideal time for turf installation is only an 8 week period, the calendar fills up fast.  If you’re considering a turf upgrade this year and your in Gwinnett County, GA, visit our web site for more information.

Shady Grove is giving back to the community by volunteering our services to the Ovie Mughelli Foundation. Here’s the story:

Ron Clark Academy Holds Groundbreaking Ceremony for Green Playground

Atlanta Falcons Ovie Mughelli, Eco-Athlete and Founder of the Ovie Mughelli Foundation, Donates Environmentally-Responsible Recreation Area

ATLANTA – December 10, 2010 – The Ovie Mughelli Foundation has reached its most significant milestone to-date as the responsible party for donating an earth-friendly playground and athletic field for the students of Ron Clark Academy (RCA).

Atlanta Falcons Ovie Mughelli, Eco-Athlete and Founder of the Ovie Mughelli Foundation, Donates Environmentally-Responsible Recreation Area

ATLANTA – December 10, 2010 – The Ovie Mughelli Foundation has reached its most significant milestone to-date as the responsible party for donating an earth-friendly playground and athletic field for the students of Ron Clark Academy (RCA).

The groundbreaking ceremony for this playground will take place at RCA on Tuesday, December 14, 2010, at 11:30am Eastern. The address is 228 Margaret Street Southeast, Atlanta. At a time when the prevalence of childhood obesity is at its highest, together RCA and the Ovie Mughelli Foundation will address the physical education needs to combine with the already rigorous academic curriculum of the Academy.

Ron Clark, the Ovie Mughelli Foundation, school executives, and several of the school’s largest donors will attend the groundbreaking ceremony. Clark and Mughelli are expected to speak and following will be the outlining of plans for the playground.

Ovie Mughelli is the Atlanta Falcons starting fullback, and he is also rated the #2 Eco-Athlete in the world by Planet Green.com. Ron Clark has been called “America’s Educator,” is a New York Times bestselling author, and his teaching experiences have been the subject of the uplifting film, The Ron Clark Story, starring Matthew Perry.

Consistent with the Ovie Mughelli Foundation’s environmental responsibility, the playground will be a “Green” facility, including NewGrass®, an industry-leading, artificial grass solution. Shady Grove Landscaping Company is the on-site construction manager of the project, and there are a couple dozen volunteers assigned to the project as well. The playground is scheduled for completion in the summer 2011.

“The Playground is part of a larger movement to do what we can to revitalize our planet,” says Ovie Mughelli. We want to help our future generation make the practical lifestyle changes to be more environmentally-conscious and give them the resources to do so.”

“The Ron Clark Academy couldn’t be more thrilled with the donation of our new athletic field, and we are extremely grateful to the Ovie Mughelli Foundation for recognizing the importance of keeping our young people healthy and physically fit. This field will enhance our athletic programs at RCA in enormous ways, and we are honored the donation is coming from Ovie Mughelli – a role-model that makes the Falcons and all of  Atlanta proud.”

My hum-dinger of a resolution for 2010 involves being a better planner. As a rule, I loosely manage my time and am mostly efficient at getting things done. For instance, I don’t wear a watch, but am usually (amazingly) on time for appointments.

But this year, my goal is to become positively obsessive about managing my time. I bought a new day-timer, I made lists of to-do lists and set a date for each to be completed. It was in this process that I figured out my real time issue…

It’s you. Well, it’s really the nature of Spring. See, we don’t think about the glory of using our outside space until it’s warm and the air is fragrant. Unfortunately, that happens for all of us pretty much at the same time. And it really messes up the flow chart I have set up for the management of MY TIME!

Don’t put it off. If you want a fabulous, creative design from Shady Grove for this spring, call me now.