No one wants weeds in their lawn, flowerbeds, drives or walkways. There are multiple ways to control the unwelcome visitors ranging from preventative to chemical and many are complementary. There’s no single method that works best in all conditions or environments and some are harmful to people, pets and plants. It’s best to get professional assistance to determine the best options for each individual situation.

Biological

These consist of bacteria, fungi, insects, and microscopic nematodes to control and destroy weeds. They’re effective, but can have unwanted and unintended effects if not utilized properly. They should only be employed by a professional.

Chemical

Weed-killing chemicals are available in multiple forms and they’re effective. They’re also harmful to kids, pets, and the people applying them. There’s a time and place for chemical options and a landscape professional should be consulted.

Edging

The physical barrier is a simple solution that’s also cost effective. It prevents weed roots from breaching the barrier and entering flower beds or overgrowing driveways and walkways.

Groundcover

A groundcover is great for areas that are difficult to reach with a mower and its dense growth helps choke out weeds. Groundcovers are available in varying heights, many of which are adorned with colorful blooms that attract bees and butterflies.

Landscape Fabric

This is the foundation of weed control before plants are installed in the ground. A layer of landscape fabric – with or without a layer of mulch – aids in preventing weeds from sprouting in the first place.

Mulch

An application of mulch helps prevent weed growth, keeps soil cooler, and aids in moisture retention.

Organic

These methods include everything from vinegar or salt water solutions, the application of specific minerals, rock salt, and even boiling water to kill weeds. The drawbacks are that they can affect desirable plants, erode and stain brick and concrete surfaces, and create areas where plants won’t grow at all for long periods.

Sunlight Deprivation

Every plant needs light to live, even weeds. Depriving them of the sun’s rays will eventually kill them. People used newspapers covered in mulch in the past to block the sun. A similar technique using modern materials will work just as well and is primarily used for flower beds.

Tilling

Whether you’re using a rototiller or a trowel, both methods break up and soil disrupt the root growth of weeds. It’s more time intensive, but it’s effective over time and also helps aerate the soil.

RCH Landscaping is a full service landscape company based in Boca Raton, Florida. We design, install, and maintain Commercial and Residential landscapes all around Boca Raton, Delray Beach and The Palm Beach areas. Our team of highly skilled landscape technicians have an undisputed track record of creating and maintaining beautiful commercial and residential landscapes all over South Florida.

Contact RCH Landscaping Today for a Free Estimate

561-779-9760

A backyard garden isn’t just for people that want to eat healthier. People across the nation are adding small herb gardens, kitchen gardens, and miniature orchards to their outdoor living space for fun and profit. Florida’s climate enables homeowners to cultivate an extremely wide variety of fruits and vegetables.

The temperate weather conditions even allow backyard gardeners to diversify. ‘Warm weather’ crops are planted during the warmest part of the year. After harvesting, the weather provides desirable conditions for crops that prefer cooler temperatures to flourish.

Warm weather and a long growing season are ideal conditions for almost any type of fruit or vegetable that South Florida residents want to cultivate. Edibles encompassing beans, sweet potatoes, tomatoes and peppers, along with cucumbers, squash, asparagus and any type of salad greens are favorites for the dinner table. Onions, cabbage, carrots, and cauliflower can also be grown.

Florida is home to one of the best environments for growing citrus fruits ranging from oranges and lemons to limes, grapefruit, and nectarines. Figs, mangoes, avocados, peaches, and plums are also good selections. Homeowners can easily add blueberries, strawberries, and raspberries, to their repertoire. Apples and cherries can be added to backyards, even if there’s not a lot of room. Many common fruit tree varieties are available in the form of dwarf and columnar trees.

The South Florida climate also enables individuals to grow out of the ordinary options such as certain types of coffee beans and bananas. For more adventurous gardeners and those that like to experiment with rare varieties they can try breadfruit, loquats, and tropical types of persimmons, in addition to jackfruit, mamey sapote, canistel, and atemoya.

South Florida is home to one of the most conducive climates for growing fruits, vegetables, and even nuts. It’s easy to start a backyard garden with the most highly-sought and healthy options available. In many instances, the plants yield much more than a family can use and they’re utilizing their excess to add some cash to their wallet by selling it at farm markets.

RCH Landscaping is a full service landscape company based in Boca Raton, Florida. We design, install, and maintain Commercial and Residential landscapes all around Boca Raton, Delray Beach and The Palm Beach areas. Our team of highly skilled landscape technicians have an undisputed track record of creating and maintaining beautiful commercial and residential landscapes all over South Florida.

Contact RCH Landscaping Today for a Free Estimate

561-779-9760

Shrubs don’t have to have exotic blossoms to be landscape standouts. There are many shrubs that have extremely colorful foliage that provide interest in unique ways. Many combine spectacular floral displays with unusually-colored leaves that put on their own show at various times of the year. For those that crave colorful shrubs, the following are some suggestions in no particular order.

Dart’s Gold™ Ninebark

Foliage is yellow gold in spring, turns lime green, and then transitions to golden yellow with a hint of bronze in the autumn. It has small white flowers in clusters that produce small red fruits. The bush grows 4-5 feet high and wide.

Goshiki™ Variegated False Holly

The evergreen features white, cream, yellow, pink and orange hues on each leaf, adding interest during slower winter months. It’s drought tolerant, deer resistant, and grows 6 feet tall and 4 feet wide.

Nightglow™ Diervilla

Emergent burgundy foliage gives way to leaves that approach black in color during summer and then turns red in the autumn before the bush sheds its leaves. It also has tubular, bright yellow flowers and reaches 2-3 feet in height and width.

Purple Hebe

White flowers emerge and rise above the burgundy/plum spotted foliage in late summer. Leaves fade to green as they age. It grows 4 feet tall and 3 feet wide.

Rainbow Fizz™ Spirea

Foliage begins as a copper red color in the spring, transitioning to shades of yellow, gold and orange all at the same time in summer’s heat. It has fuzzy pink blooms throughout the summer and foliage turns copper again with autumn. It grows 3-4 feet in width and height.

Wine & Roses™ Weigela

The combination of rosy pink flowers against dark purple foliage provides a show stopping vision. Spring foliage is so dark it almost appears black. The award-winning shrub requires little maintenance, is deer resistant, and grows 4-5 feet wide and high.

RCH Landscaping is a full service landscape company based in Boca Raton, Florida. We design, install, and maintain Commercial and Residential landscapes all around Boca Raton, Delray Beach and The Palm Beach areas. Our team of highly skilled landscape technicians have an undisputed track record of creating and maintaining beautiful commercial and residential landscapes all over South Florida.

Contact RCH Landscaping Today for a Free Estimate

561-779-9760

Few things are as tasty and satisfying as cooking with homegrown herbs. There are dozens of culinary herbs from which to choose and with South Florida’s climate, nothing is off the table. While it’s possible to grow some of the more exotic herbs and spices, there are 10 basic herbs that no kitchen garden should be without and they grow extremely well in Florida.

• Basil
• Cilantro
• Dill
• Lemon balm
• Mint
• Oregano
• Parsley
• Rosemary
• Tarragon
• Thyme

You can buy plants from a nursery – it’s easier and you won’t have to wait for them to sprout, but herbs are fairly easy to start from seed. Spring and summer are the best times to begin a kitchen garden. If you want new plants for the following season, let the herbs flower and go to seed. Many self-sow easily.

The 10 basic herbs are an ideal place to start before graduating to more difficult herbs to grow. Begin by growing what you like and what you’ll use most often. If you buy seedlings, be sure you know what you’re getting. There are many different types of mint and thyme, for example. It’s important to make distinctions.

You’ll also want to know the growth habits of the herbs you plant. Mint and oregano can be aggressive in the garden and overpower their neighbors. Some herbs are best grown in pots to keep them contained, but it will mean they’ll need to be watered more often and have excellent drainage.

Harvesting your herbs can be tricky. You don’t want to pick them too often or not enough, but they will need to be pinched to encourage growth. Doing so will ensure the plants remain more compact and produce a greater yield.

Having success with one type of herb is a heady experience and you’ll be tempted to add several more. Don’t do it. Each herb has its own particular needs and it’s best to introduce one more at a time to the kitchen garden.

RCH Landscaping is a full service landscape company based in Boca Raton, Florida. We design, install, and maintain Commercial and Residential landscapes all around Boca Raton, Delray Beach and The Palm Beach areas. Our team of highly skilled landscape technicians have an undisputed track record of creating and maintaining beautiful commercial and residential landscapes all over South Florida.

Contact RCH Landscaping Today for a Free Estimate

561-779-9760

A lush green lawn is a beauty to behold and sufficient moisture is one of the essential requirements. If you have a modern irrigation system installed, your irrigation specialist will program it to automatically water at the optimal time.

If you’re still watering by hand, there’s one very important aspect with which you should be concerned. Evaporation in its many forms is the enemy of lawn watering. Water can evaporate through the effects of sun, wind, high temperatures, and low humidity levels.

Daytime isn’t the best time to water the lawn. Late at night or early in the morning when air temperatures are cooler and the dew has fallen is preferable to minimize evaporation. Never water during the hottest part of the day. It’s a waste of water and can actually dehydrate the lawn and stress the grass.

Watering on windy days is also a waste of time, money and water. A light breeze isn’t a problem, but a strong wind will result in much of the water evaporating before it has time to soak into the lawn where it needs to be.

Most lawns require anywhere from 1 to 1.5 inches of water each week if you don’t receive sufficient rain. A rain gauge can be a valuable tool for monitoring how much rain has fallen and if your lawn is still thirsty. Most experts recommend watering until the moisture has penetrated six inches below the surface.

One of the reasons it’s a good idea to have an irrigation system installed by a professional is that the high-tech systems available now can be programmed to water at the proper time and they can even detect the amount of rainfall so lawns aren’t overwatered. They take the guesswork out of the best time of day to water the yard.

RCH Landscaping is a full service landscape company based in Boca Raton, Florida. We design, install, and maintain Commercial and Residential landscapes all around Boca Raton, Delray Beach and The Palm Beach areas. Our team of highly skilled landscape technicians have an undisputed track record of creating and maintaining beautiful commercial and residential landscapes all over South Florida.

Contact RCH Landscaping Today for a Free Estimate

561-779-9760

Most people automatically think of plants when they hear the word landscape, but it also encompasses a wide variety of other features that enhance, beautify, and add interest and value to properties. Within landscapes, there are ample opportunities to incorporate hardscapes.

Hardscapes can include paved paths and driveways, fountains, waterfalls, and pools, along with statuary, patios, fire pits and retaining walls. It can embrace decks, gazebos, pergolas, and stairways. Hardscape features are those made of materials such as metal, stone, brick, concrete and wood – the non-living elements within a landscape.

A hardscape can be decorative, practical or both. It can be as simple as adding a bench or something more complicated such as installing fencing. The elements work together to complement current or future landscaping, the architectural style of a home or business, improve functionality of the outdoor space, and meet the needs of the property owner.

Hardscaping is also an efficient and effective way to create a sense of dimension or emphasize boundaries between properties or other elements in the landscape. Fences and water hardscapes are particularly beneficial for masking traffic noise and water hardscapes are desirable for relaxing and entertaining.

In the past, the practice was typically to utilize one type of hardscaping to the exclusion of another. Today, the trend in cutting edge landscape design is to combine features for a more well-rounded approach or create ‘zones.’

Other trends include sleek and modern that utilizes linear and contemporary design with modern materials such as porcelain, that’re easy to clean and maintain. Another trend features multipurpose walls that double as benches, raised planters, or garden beds in which to grow a kitchen garden. Adding state-of-the-art lighting is also popular and contributes to safety and security.

No matter what type of hardscapes you may have envisioned, your landscape designer is sure to have ideas and concepts you may never have even considered. A landscape professional can introduce you to a wide variety of hardscape options and assist you in deciding what will work best on your property.

RCH Landscaping is a full service landscape company based in Boca Raton, Florida. We design, install, and maintain Commercial and Residential landscapes all around Boca Raton, Delray Beach and The Palm Beach areas. Our team of highly skilled landscape technicians have an undisputed track record of creating and maintaining beautiful commercial and residential landscapes all over South Florida.

Contact RCH Landscaping Today for a Free Estimate

561-779-9760

Every property has them – areas of shade where nothing ever seems to want to grow. To fill in shady spots in the garden or landscape, it’s essential that the greenery that’s planted is shade-loving or shade-tolerant at the very least.

It’s possible to fill in those less well-lit areas with distinctly colored and patterned foliage. There are even plants that will bloom in those conditions for a burst of color in an unexpected location. There are annuals for those that like to change up their look each year, or the ever popular plant-them-and-forget-them perennials. First, you have to determine what type of shade you have – filtered, partial, full or deep.

Filtered Shade

This is one of the most common situations in landscapes, whether it’s a large estate or a small backyard. In filtered shade, sunlight is filtered through a canopy of leaves. The pattern of light shifts all day. Filtered shade is also known as dappled light. Begonias, fuchsias and bleeding heart are good choices.

Partial Shade

Another common situation is partial shade. It occurs when an area receives 2-4 hours of sun per day. Lily of the valley will grow in partial or full shade. Impatiens don’t mind shade and caladiums and coleus are valued for their showy foliage.

Full Shade

You have full shade when very little sunlight reaches plants due to thick trees, canopies or overhangs on structures. Hostas like shade and potted dead nettle is another option that’s non-invasive and doesn’t sting like ordinary nettles.

Deep/dense Shade

This occurs when plants receive no direct sun exposure and the light they do receive is reflected or indirect. It’s a difficult situation, but there are remedies. Primroses, coral bells, and foxglove are just some of the options for this type of environment.

Choose Carefully

If you purchase from a nursery, talk with one of their specialists to ensure the plants you choose will grow in the conditions where you plan to place them. If you’re going to purchase plants from a supermarket or similar outlet, research your options online before making a purchase.

RCH Landscaping is a full service landscape company based in Boca Raton, Florida. We design, install, and maintain Commercial and Residential landscapes all around Boca Raton, Delray Beach and The Palm Beach areas. Our team of highly skilled landscape technicians have an undisputed track record of creating and maintaining beautiful commercial and residential landscapes all over South Florida.

Contact RCH Landscaping Today for a Free Estimate

561-779-9760

One of the most important aspects of maintaining a beautiful landscape is ensuring it has sufficient moisture to thrive. Providing the water it needs when required can be a lot of time intensive work. It’s just one of the reasons that landscaping and irrigation go hand-in-hand.

Landscaping provides an aesthetically pleasing environment and adds value to any property. The same is true of an irrigation system. Modern systems are wonders of technology that are able to detect when plants need to be watered and can compensate for local rainfall to save property owners money.

Irrigation systems need to be installed and configured by a professional. They have the experience, knowledge and expertise to design an appropriate system, install directional sprinkler heads, program the system, and calculate the correct amount of water for different areas of the landscape. Drip irrigation can also be installed in appropriate locations.

When an irrigation system is installed, the designer will factor in a wide variety of elements. Those encompass soil types, different kinds of plantings, any areas where pooling or puddling are likely to occur, and runoff potential.

They’ll also configure the system so clients only water the soil and moisture isn’t directed to streets, sidewalks and walkways. An irrigation specialist will be able to adjust the water pressure appropriately so water is distributed in a uniform way.

Without the proper moisture levels at the correct times, everything from grass and flowers to bushes, trees and vines will wither and die. Conversely, too much water will drown them and lead to the growth of mold and mildew that can be expensive to alleviate.

For attractive and well-maintained landscapes, irrigation is a necessity. It eliminates the time and effort of watering by hand, saves water and money, and ensures the right amount of water is distributed in each zone. Irrigation ensures that every inch of properties are lush and green.

RCH Landscaping is a full service landscape company based in Boca Raton, Florida. We design, install, and maintain Commercial and Residential landscapes all around Boca Raton, Delray Beach and The Palm Beach areas. Our team of highly skilled landscape technicians have an undisputed track record of creating and maintaining beautiful commercial and residential landscapes all over South Florida.

Contact RCH Landscaping Today for a Free Estimate

561-779-9760

Designing or redesigning your landscape can be exciting. There are so many choices available it can be difficult to decide exactly what you want. However, what you envision may not be feasible due to considerations such as budget, space, or climate.

While most plants will thrive in South Florida, some may be an invasive species or grow too large for your space. That’s when the expertise of a landscape designer is essential and there are several things to consider when selecting a professional.

What do you want?

Know what type of features you want, how quickly you want the work done, and your budget. When those details have been decided, a landscape designer will be able to tell you if the vision is possible.

Do the research

Visit the websites of landscape designers to see some of their projects and reviews. Ask friends, family and coworkers that have had work done about their designer. If possible, view some of their projects in person.

Shop around

Consult with multiple firms and narrow your final choices to three. Don’t be afraid to request references and obtain quotes from each of your selections. Feel free to check the credentials and memberships of professional organizations the designer is affiliated with and make sure they’re fully insured should something go awry – accidents do happen.

Explanations

The landscape firms with which you consult should be able to explain the process to you in detail and provide estimates on time and cost. The firm should also be able to explain if certain plants or features won’t work in your space and why, and offer alternatives.

Great expectations

Even if you’re having a minor facelift performed on your property, landscape design is a significant investment and you want it to reflect your sense of style and aesthetics. Working with a landscape designer that shares your vision and provides the information you need allows you to make informed decisions.

RCH Landscaping is a full service landscape company based in Boca Raton, Florida. We design, install, and maintain Commercial and Residential landscapes all around Boca Raton, Delray Beach and The Palm Beach areas. Our team of highly skilled landscape technicians have an undisputed track record of creating and maintaining beautiful commercial and residential landscapes all over South Florida.

Contact RCH Landscaping Today for a Free Estimate

561-779-9760

Most are familiar with the shape of maples, oaks and flowering pear trees. There are some unusual trees native to countries around the world that can be grown in Florida due to the state’s unique climate. The trees have unusual appearances, growth habits, and histories that make them well worth the effort. It’s important before planting any species to ensure it’s not invasive.

Baobab

The first impression when people see a Baobab tree is that it was planted upside down. The effect is heightened when the tree sheds it leaves. It can be grown in South Florida, but may be tricky. It’s often referred to as the “Tree of Life” since it can live thousands of years. The trunks can hold several gallons of water and in its native Africa, it’s tapped and plugged for water.

Dawn Redwood

A holdover from prehistoric times and once thought to be extinct, it’s a deciduous tree that looks like an evergreen and has a distinctly pyramidal shape. The tree’s needles turn yellow and rust red each year before dropping. The hardy tree regrows its foliage each spring. It’s the smallest of the redwood species and can even survive northern winters.

Dragon’s Blood Tree

A native of the Socotra archipelago, it’s technically not a tree and gets its name from the red sap it produces. Its upturned canopy resembles an umbrella. Scientists classify the tree as a remnant of the Mio-Pliocene Laurasian forests that are almost entirely extinct.

Jabuticaba Tree

It’s an ordinary looking tree native to Brazil – until it produces fruit. Hairy white blooms give way to black fruit that grows in the branches and along the trunk. If conditions are right, it can fruit several times a year and many use the fruits to make juice or wine.

Rainbow Eucalyptus

This isn’t a tree to be grown in limited space as it can grow up to 250 ft. tall and is one of the fastest growing in the world. It gets its name from the strange coloration it displays when its bark is shed and each layer can be a different color. Over time, it returns to its natural brown hue before repeating the process. It has leaves that are more than six inches long that are aromatic when crushed and small white flowers when in bloom. It doesn’t tolerate frost.

RCH Landscaping is a full service landscape company based in Boca Raton, Florida. We design, install, and maintain Commercial and Residential landscapes all around Boca Raton, Delray Beach and The Palm Beach areas. Our team of highly skilled landscape technicians have an undisputed track record of creating and maintaining beautiful commercial and residential landscapes all over South Florida.

Contact RCH Landscaping Today for a Free Estimate

561-779-9760