PANTIO – a company form Latvia is on the right track to to just that. The new 21st century flower box made of ABS, the material of the new age known for its superb durability and environmental friendliness, embodies the company’s mission to make the world greener.

The benefits of the new PANTIO box are the following:
-No need for gardener
-No problem of relocating and changing the composition
-No need for regular watering
-No need for weeding

How is this possible? The box consists of two units – a body container and a perforated insert where goes your plants and the soil for them. The body container is laid in the soil and serves as the water and fertilzier resource and also water amount equalizer. The insert then is laid in the container and could be put into or taken out of it if necessary. The container protects against the tree roots and weeds that grows around so that the prepared soil remains intact.

The box has already been looked upon favorably by the municipality of Jūrmala, the biggest resort of the Baltic States. They have experienced the usefulness of PANTIO boxes and the result is this: they have conluded a contract for more.

We are also developing a new product – PANTIO Eko. It is going to be a flower box that gradually decomposes and leaves no mark of its presence in the soil. This kind of box will be a solution to the cases where there is a need of plants (trees and bush) but the relief is not suitable for this kind of idea. These are places like slopes along the roads – inimic/unfriendly conditions.

The owner of the company Arnis Spurdzins has always been a friend of the nature and considers that world today desperately needs a greener thinking: „We have to try to return to the nature what we have taken. We need the nature. Does it need us? Let’s live the way we can say that.”

The flower box that cares for itself and can be put wherever you please. Garden, balcony, rooftop, etc. No professional gardener needed, no special attention, but you always know there is someone who looks after your flowers. That is 21st century in gardening.

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To get additional information about Denver landscaping, Denver landscaping companies, and Denver landscaping contractors, please visit our Denver landscape designinformational site.

The newly developed garden membrane, Biodegradable Frost Protection Fleece, can be disposed of in a household green garden waste bin.

It will then be sent to a “municipal composting facility” where it can decompose – which it cannot do in a regular compost heap.

Gardeners who use DIY Matters’ Frost Protection Fleece can be assured their plants will remain protected during autumn and winter – because it is the ultimate defence against cold weather.

This defensive barrier lets plants breathe while keeping frost, wind and pests at bay.

The biodegradable Frost Protection Fleece is ideal for protecting new shoots, spring flowers and newly seeded areas. In addition, it is an extremely light weight fabric – so it allows delicate plants to grow.

Plants still get the air, moisture and light they need because of the special material. It
wraps easily around most plants.

By preparing for cold weather using DIY Matters’ Frost Protection Fleece, gardening enthusiasts can use winter as a time to rearrange parts of the garden – without worrying about their plants getting damaged.

Moving your plants around can give a garden a completely new look.

The biodegradable material is specially manufactured from a renewable and sustainable biopolymer material called Polyactic Acid – which is derived from plant sugars. It has been scientifically tested and proven to be both biodegradable and compostable.

DIY Matters supplies a wide range of landscape fabric, which also includes – weed control fabric and general garden membranes.
Weed membrane and landscaping membrane are vital to maintaining a healthy, weed free beautiful garden.

DIY Matters was set up as a subsidiary to one of the largest importers of garden fabric in the UK – giving it unique access to some of the world’s most effective landscape fabric.

To get additional information about Denver landscaping, Denver landscaping companies, and Denver landscaping contractors, please visit our Denver landscape designinformational site.

Q: Who benefits from the Parade of Ponds?
A: Ticket sale proceeds are donated to a variety of organizations ranging from nonprofits, 501c3 charities, hospitals, private schools, medical research groups and so on.

Q: Where can I buy tickets?
A: Tickets are available at several locations throughout the Denver Metro area including:
· True Pump & Equipment, 1429 South Broadway, Denver
· Hudson Gardens, 6115 South Santa Fe Drive, Littleton
· Nick’s Garden Center, 2001 South Chambers Road, Aurora
· Tagawa Garden Center, 7711 South Parker Road, Aurora
· O’Toole’s Garden Center, 5201 S. Federal Blvd., Littleton
· O’Toole’s Garden Center, 1404 Quail Street, Lakewood
· Enery Water Gardens, 7601 Indiana Street, Arvada
· Timberline Gardens, 11700 W. 58th Avenue, Arvada
· Echter’s Greenhouse & Gardens, 5150 Garrison Street, Arvada

Q: Why should I attend the Parade of Ponds?
A: The Parade of Ponds offers a lot to see whether you are a water garden enthusiast,
thinking of building a pond, already have a pond or just simply enjoy seeing beautifully
landscaped yards of different sizes and styles. The event will not disappoint!

Q: What will I see on the tour?
A: Each pond features the homeowner’s unique approach to water gardening from
small, intimate ponds, to large, elaborate water gardens, and everything in between.
You will see a huge variety of water plants and fish.

Q: Who sponsors the event?
A: The North American Water Garden Society and BR&D Landscape. BR&D, the 10th
largest Certified Aquascape Contractor in the nation, is headquartered in Franktown,
Colorado. The company specializes in custom landscape design and installation for
businesses or residences in the southern metro area. BR&D takes pride in the community
and is very pleased to sponsor this fun event.

Q: Isn’t building and maintaining a pond expensive?
A: Natural ecosystem ponds are low maintenance, similar to other elements in a garden.
The plants need to be trimmed and fertilized, but they don’t ever have to be watered!
The tradeoff is the amount of enjoyment and “backyard therapy” they provide, which
rivals anything else in a yard. Some people say they stay home more because sitting by
their pond is like going on vacation, so the expense depends on your perspective. The
prices for most new ponds range from $4,000-$15,000.

Q: Doesn’t a pond take too much water in our semi-arid state?
A: When a pond replaces bluegrass, water use is often less. Besides removing grass to
build a pond, there’s often a large swath of mulched gardens surrounding the pond.

Q: What if I want fish in my pond? Won’t they die in the winter?
A: Fish may be the best part of the pond. They’re colorful, add movement, and are very
low maintenance. In the winter, they go to the bottom of the pond and when they
emerge again in the spring you’ll be amazed at how much they’ve grown.

To get additional information about Denver landscaping, Denver landscaping companies, and Denver landscaping contractors, please visit our Denver landscape designinformational site.

Franktown, Colorado: Denver’s premier pond tour is set for August 27-28, 2011. Once again, tour goers will
be treated to the sights and sounds of approximately 40 ponds throughout the metro area. The two-day
tour runs rain or shine from 9:00 – 5:00 Saturday and 11:00 – 5:00 Sunday.

The Parade of Ponds also serves as a community fundraiser with ticket sale proceeds going to a variety of
organizations. Past recipients include Praying Hands Ranch in Parker, American Diabetes Association, Boys
Hope Girls Hope, Adams Camp, Junior Symphony Guild, Misha May Foundation, Audiology Department at
Children’s Hospital, Hope House and many more.

Tickets go on sale July 1, 2011 at nearly a dozen Denver area locations. A list of ticket sellers can be found
at www.ColoradoParadeofPonds.com. Tickets are available in July for the “Early Bird” price of $10 each.
In August, tickets are $15 each. Children 15 and under are free.

If you prefer someone else do the driving, True Pump & Equipment in Denver offers a bus tour on Saturday only. Make reservations in advance by calling 303-744-3505. Contact Kelly Perkins at 303-660-5015 or Kelly@brdlandscape.com for more information regarding the Parade of Ponds

To get additional information about Denver landscaping, Denver landscaping companies, and Denver landscaping contractors, please visit our Denver landscape designinformational site.

Flower and garden shows pack more ideas per square foot into one space than any other gardening venues I know. It’s bound to happen when you bring together all those creative horticultural thinkers.

OK, I realize some ideas are goofy, or impractical, or downright impossible — my biggest gripe is display gardens that group together plants with totally diverse needs, such as dry-tolerating euphorbias planted next to water-loving hydrangeas.

But on the whole, scooping up exciting ideas is what makes these garden shows so alluring. Here are my discoveries about water use at the Portland (Ore.) Yard, Garden and Patio Show.

1. Make a floating island – Enliven an already existing shallow pool (or add this construction to your future plans) with the addition of an island that appears to float on the water. The one in the first photo above, designed by Landscape East and West, is mostly shade plants — ferns and mosses — tucked around a charming piece of tree stump.

2. Combine water and glass – We’ve all seen colored glass balls like the ones gathered in the top of the water feature shown in the first photo at left. However, the display by Dennis’  7 Dees Landscaping and Garden Center  pushes the glass/water connection up a notch. The rectangle of abstract glass art in the niche above echoes and enhances the spillway’s knife-edged waterfall.

3. Repurpose the details – Autumn Leaf Landscaping’s clever trough fountain employs three spigots to create maximum splashing sound with minimum overall water usage. [Second photo above; click on the arrow at the right base of the first photo.] Designer Kristine Hanson of Green Leaf Design added the perfect eye-catching accent with red, lacy metal encircling each spigot. Actually, they are Crate and Barrel trivets, repurposed for a great water-feature effect.

4. Float the pathway – Bridges like the bluestone slabs shown in the second photo at left appear to float on the black water’s surface. I feel compelled to cross them. Fortunately, Enviromax Landscape Design allowed show goers to do just that. Very satisfying.

DIYers, please note: With these water-level crossings, you should probably get construction help from the experts; the finicky details must be just right to pull off the floating appearance.

5. Don’t forget water’s inherent drama – Over the years, Eamon Hughes of  Hughes Water Garden has proven to be a master of these enormous darkened ponds — lakes, by indoor show standards — and they never leak! [See third photo above.] Mr. Hughes reminds us that water can be enjoyed any time of day — or night — and in any season.

Unlike many displays devoted to celebrating spring, this pool is an homage to the wintery Northwest landscape that we left outside the Convention Center doors. It invites us to stop, stare into the illusion of unseen depths, and notice the quiet reflections. The up-lighting on the dogwood (Cornus “Midwinter Fire”) is pure display garden showmanship.

To get additional information about Denver landscaping, Denver landscaping companies, and Denver landscaping contractors, please visit our Denver landscape designinformational site.

Altgelt explains, “The first good reason for starting the process in the fall is that we are much more likely to get a great contractor.” Landscape contractors’ business tends to slow down in the winter, which can make it possible to negotiate a better price or to book a contractor who wouldn’t be available in the spring. The most on-demand contractors can be difficult or impossible to hire if the design process is put off until spring.

In addition, many people are surprised by how much of the actual landscaping can be done in the fall. “In the Boulder/Denver area, the weather is mild enough to do a lot of work in the fall, and even over the winter, especially on a southern exposure.” If a project is started in the fall, the “hardscape” construction of moving the earth and creating rock features, paving, and retaining walls can often be finished by spring.

For the massive rock features some of his clients want, Tom has to drive off-road through Wyoming ranch country to pick out rocks weighing up to 20 tons. Then he tags them and arranges for their removal. If he gets too late of a start, those rocks could be snowed in until spring! “It’s a race against time for me to get them out.”

For most trees and shrubs, a fall planting gives them a chance to put down roots over the winter. Then in the spring they can dazzle us with their foliage and flowers. “Often, many of the plants that we can get in the fall are available at a discount, and specialty plants can be ordered during the winter so that we can find the creme de la creme plant material.”

“People who start in the fall will often have a landscape that is blooming and starting to look beautiful in the spring. Those who wait until spring may end up with a big ugly construction mess, with back hoes and mud for much of the spring and possibly into the summer months.” Most homeowners would prefer to look at a lovely garden taking shape rather than bare earth in the spring.

And, of course, the most important consideration is the end result. Optimally, a garden will be pleasing all year round, but Altgelt says most are designed to impress us in the spring and summer. That’s because there is such a wide range of plant choices that exhibit their full splendor in the spring and summer. Designing a landscape in the autumn makes it easier to conceptualize plantings that will provide beauty year-round. For example, “a beautiful fall combination of perennials is the Sedum of Autumn Joy, which is reddish or pinkish, next to Salvia, which turns deep purple. These colors resonate with each other. Next if you add the bright golden of the black-eyed Susan, you have a stunning collage of colors.”

The next challenge is to design a landscape that is lovely in the winter. “After the leaves fall and plants begin to go dormant, they reveal their more subtle, internal structure to us. This too can be beautiful, and we take this into account more readily when we design a landscape in the fall.” Some plants, like the evergreens and some grasses, are colorful in the winter. There is a red twig shrub and yellow twig shrub with colorful bare stems after the falling of the leaves. “The earth also begins to reveal more of its sculpted forms when the plants have shed their lushness.”

Waxing philosophical, Altgelt continues: “In my experience, the most beautiful landscapes come out of our developing an engaged and heartfelt relationship with nature. To me, designing ‘green’ landscapes is only the beginning. Most people I’ve met who have property feel a certain bond with their land and are in some way deeply connected with it. While spring is a time that is bursting with new energy, the fall and winter is a more contemplative time, a time to listen to the land and let it speak to you.”

So designing a landscape in the fall can yield benefits, both the practical benefit of saving money, and a more soulful benefit of co-creating with nature. To Altgelt, this is a magical combination.

To get additional information about Denver landscaping, Denver landscaping companies, and Denver landscaping contractors, please visit our Denver landscape designinformational site.

April 22, 2011

Here’s the release from Denver Water (Stacy Chesney):

Denver Water’s summer water use rules begin May 1, but the utility encourages customers to pay attention to weather and lawn conditions before watering.

“Half of a household’s water use goes to outside watering,” said Melissa Essex Elliott, manager of conservation. “Most lawns don’t need as much water as you might think. Watering your lawn two days a week should be sufficient during May and into June.”

Denver Water’s watering rules, in effect until Oct. 1, are:

- No lawn watering between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m.
- Do not water more than three days per week (there are no assigned days for watering).
- Do not waste water by allowing it to pool in gutters, streets and alleys.
- Do not waste water by letting it spray on concrete and asphalt.
- Repair leaking sprinkler systems within 10 days.
- Do not water while it is raining or during high winds.

The utility will continue to enforce its rules with a team of 12 Water Savers, including four on bikes.

“The Water Savers’ purpose is as much about educating customers as it is about enforcing Denver Water’s rules,” said Elliott. “We continue to have some monitors on bikes as a more approachable way to talk with our customers one-on-one about wise water use.”

If you see water waste in one of Denver’s parks, call 3-1-1. To report waste elsewhere, call Denver Water at 303-628-6343.

Colorado’s dry climate means everyone needs to take part to ensure adequate water supplies will be available well into the future. “A small step like adjusting your watering times based on the weather is a great way to become more efficient,” said Elliott. Denver Water’s long-term plan to secure water for the future includes encouraging water conservation as a permanent way of life for Denver residents.

123(O’Hara) – How to Install Yard Sprinkler Systems in West Palm Beach by O’Hara Sprinkler Inc.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
West Palm Beach, Florida, United States of America (Free-Press-Release.com) April 7, 2011 — Basic sprinkler system parts are affordable.  Sprinkler systems make lawn watering efficient and promote healthy grass and plants. Planning the sprinkler system on paper prior to installing creates an easy-to-follow blueprint and allows the purchase of the proper amount of piping and couplings. You’ll find basic parts at local hardware stores and contractor supply outlets. Except for the control box and possible rental of a trencher, the parts are inexpensive for the water savings achieved.

Difficulty: Moderate
Instructions

things you’ll need:

Graph paper
Water pressure gauge
Trenching equipment or shovel
Sprinkler control box
¾ inch PVC pipe (adjust size for water flow as needed)
PVC pipe cutter
PVC bonding cement
Pipe couplings
Risers
Sprinkler heads
Teflon tape

Locate the main water supply, and test the water pressure using a pressure gauge. Sketch an outline of the yard using 8 ½ x 11 graph paper. Note shade trees, flower beds, and where sidewalks interrupt the yard space. Note where the water main runs from the street to the house. Determine the number of sprinkler zones and the type of sprinkler heads needed to reach the desired gallons per hour. Use half circles or full circles on paper for half spray heads or full spray heads as noted in “Garden and Patio Building Book” by the editors of Sunset magazine. Create a legend on the paper to measure the amount of linear footage needed for piping that are typically sold in 10 feet lengths.

Acquire supplies and tape over the open ends of the PVC pipe to reduce the chance of dirt entering the pipes in trenches. Check local city water departments for rebates on purchasing weather-based controllers similar to the listing on SoCalWaterSmart.com. Locate where the sprinkler control box will be located. Select a position for the valves that control the sprinkler zones and ensure the wires can easily reach.

Sprinkle lime to mark how the PVC pipes will lay in the yard, or stake a spot at the main line to run a plumb line just above the ground to mark the piping. Start at the sprinkler valve controls and then walk along the grass marking each spot farthest away from the controls. Mark where each sprinkler head will appear. Dig trenches six to eight inches deep following the marking.

Lay pipes in the trenches. Attach pipes to the main control valves. Unwrap the tape to attach the pipes. Use a PVC pipe cutter to cut the pipe, and install a riser for the sprinkler heads. Use adjustable elbow joints to attach the riser to the pipes to allow flexibility if the sprinkler heads are bumped by lawn mowers. Select either a 6-inch, 8-inch or 12-inch riser. Use plastic risers to make adjustments easier. Bond couplings with pipe sections using pvc cement. Wait one hour or longer for the cement to bond. Turn on water to flush lines before attaching sprinkler heads. Turn off immediately after turning on to avoid flooding over the risers.

Troubleshoot connections before covering with sod.
Attach sprinkler heads, and inspect both the water flow and strength of pvc pipes at joints. Cover the sprinkler pipes with sod and tamp down lightly. File the graph for future reference.

To get additional information about Denver landscaping, Denver landscaping companies, and Denver landscaping contractors, please visit our Denver landscape designinformational site.

Outdoor Kitchen of the Year
Outdoor Living Area of the Year
Annual Arrangements and Use of Color
Innovative Landscape Design
Winners of the 2011 Denver Landscape Network Award(s) will receive:
Feature Article displayed on the Denver Landscape Network, and linked-to from the DLN Home Page. Article is Archived on the Denver Landscape Network website and links back to your company’s website and contact information

Best of DLN Logo, which will be featured on your paid DLN Advertisement, including a free License to use the Logo on your Website, Brochures, Cards, Etc.

Unlimited License to use and link to the Featured Article from your website and marketing material

Criteria for Denver Landscape Network Awards:
Photography – While we don’t need print ready 10MB files of the project you’d like to submit, Good Pictures tell everything.
Uniqueness – Any landscaping company can construct simple landscapes. DLN Awards go to companies that construct or design landscaping that stand out from the rest.
Project Description – While pictures may tell everything, a good project description should accompany an award winning project.
2011 DLN Awards will be issued June 20th. The Deadline for award applications is May 1st, 2011.

To get additional information about Denver landscaping, Denver landscaping companies, and Denver landscaping contractors, please visit our Denver landscape designinformational site.

To get additional information about Denver landscaping, Denver landscaping companies, andDenver landscaping contractors, please visit our Denver landscape design informational site.