Bradley Landscape Development, Inc. blogs

5 New Year’s Resolutions for Your Yard & Garden

admin — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 16:57:47 +0000

As spring inches closer and the temperatures gradually increase, your yard and garden re-emerge from winter’s blanket. Once the winter blues have passed and the New Year’s champagne glasses have been toasted, it’s time to start thinking about getting your yard and garden in shape.

Yards and gardens bring bright colors and beauty to our warmer months, and if you’ve been neglecting those weeds or have been thinking about growing your own vegetables for a healthier you this year, make a few resolutions to whip your earthy environment into shape.

Waging War on Your Water Bill

If last year’s water costs kept you from taking full advantage of your yard, then make a resolution to cut down your watering needs and also increase the aesthetic quality of your landscape.

Watering can become a dull and time-consuming chore for those yards and gardens without built-in irrigation systems. But don’t think of buying an irrigation system as taking a hard hit to your pocketbook in the name of laziness. Irrigation systems can keep your yard flourishing while cutting down on water waste.

Scheduled watering can help you get the most out of it by allowing you to water your yard at key times of the day. Scheduling irrigation at dawn and dusk offers you a chance to water your lawn without losing precious H₂O to evaporation. Automatic watering systems can also keep you from over- or under-watering your yard, allowing you to enjoy a greener landscape and a lower water bill.

Creating Sustainable Surroundings

You don’t have to cover your lawn with grass to create a beautiful landscape. Many homeowners these days are turning to more sustainable solutions for their homes. Creating rock and gravel gardens and planting low-need plants like succulents can offer you a beautiful solution without breaking the bank.

Opting for a rock garden cuts down on weeding and watering responsibilities, and creates less organic waste. It also takes less work to revive after the colder winter months.

Veg Out

As the availability of on-the-go meals and high fat foods rises in the US, the temptation to leave out leafy greens is growing as well. If you’re looking for a way to bring a healthy resolution into your kitchen this year, then creating your own vegetable garden may be your key to success.

Growing your own garden is as easy as tilling up a square of soil in your back yard, planting your seeds, and watering consistently. This is also a great family activity that allows your children to appreciate the amazing taste of homegrown vegetables.

Create Compost

Composting is one of the easiest ways to make a difference in your yard. It is one of the simplest ways to speed up decomposition and also turn yard waste and kitchen scraps into fertilizer. Using a compost bin is an easy process. Simply throw in organic kitchen scraps and yard clippings, and let natural organisms do the work. You can even add in some worms to speed up the process. In a short amount of time, that pile of organic waste will turn into rich soil. This is a great way to feed your own yard and garden.

Plan out a Patio

If you had trouble keeping up your back yard last year, don’t blame yourself entirely. It’s hard to keep up an area of your home that you don’t spend much time in. This year, consider giving your outside area a makeover by adding a patio or a deck. Adding a social area to your home’s exterior is a great way to bring the indoors out and help you make a conscious effort to keep up your landscape. This simple addition of wood or stone tiles also reduces the amount of lawn upkeep necessary. Patios are easily maintained, and create a functional social space in your yard.

Whether you’re looking to spruce up your spring a little or reinvent your backyard paradise, resolve to re-engage in your home’s landscape this year with a few reachable resolutions. Get your family into the eco-friendly habit of composting, and add a little elbow grease into your dinner salad to enjoy the fruits of your labor through a home-grown vegetable garden. Outfitting your yard with more water-wise plants and investing in an irrigation system will not only save you money over time but growing your own food can save you some cash this season as well.

"Costs Water to Have Green" Photo Credit: micklpickl

San Diego Home and Garden November 2010 Issue

admin — Sat, 22 Jan 2011 00:03:18 +0000

In the November 2010 issue of San Diego Home and Garden Magazine, they ran a segment on contemporary craftsmanship in the area. Two of Bradley Landscape Development's homes were featured in this exciting issue. See images below for more details.

San Diego Home and Garden April 2010 Issue

admin — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 23:55:04 +0000

In April of 2010, a beautiful Bradley Landscaping project in Mount Helix was featured in an issue of San Diego Home and Garden Magazine. Click the images below to learn more!

Home of the Year: Decor & Style Magazine

admin — Thu, 30 Dec 2010 20:27:53 +0000

In Decor & Styles November edition, one of Bradley Landscape Development's projects was chosen for the 2010 Home of the Year. From stone waterfalls and a natural pool to palms and shrubs, the outdoor area of this home is a calming paradise in the heart of San Diego. Some outdoor features include: a fire pit, two multilevel waterfalls, a rocky 'natural' pool with sand-sloped beach entry, two hot tubs and a trickling stream. Take a look for yourself (click to enlarge):

Landscaping Tips: Winters in San Diego

admin — Thu, 30 Dec 2010 20:27:39 +0000

Now that the frost has come to kill the majority of your plants, it’s time to find environmentally-friendly alternatives that can handle the cold. Sometimes it can be hard to find drought-tolerant, cold-hardy plants that are bright enough to liven up your winter landscape. Do not despair! There are options to bring color to your yard; you just have to ask the right people.

Snapdragons: These vibrant flowering plants are known for handling cold weather, but not heavy freezes, so they are perfect for the San Diego climate.
Camellia: This beautiful tree comes in a few different colors such as white and pink. Related to the tea-producing Japanese Camellia, this shrub is vibrant and cold-hardy.
Kafir Lily: This bright reddish-orange shrub adds much-needed color to any winter landscape. Try to plant these in late summer when the soil is still warm.
Carnations: Everyone’s favorite friendly flower is also quite resistant to most light frosts, which is hopefully all you’ll get in San Diego anyway.
Phlox: While this encompasses quite a few annuals and perennials, they are all pretty hardy as well as drought tolerant. They can add a great splash of pink, purple, white or red to any winter landscape.
Osteospermum: Known as a spring or fall flower in most areas of the country, this bloom can survive San Diego’s mild winter with the best of them. This easy to grow varietal is commonly used in containers, beds, and borders.
Yarrow: This small perennial is native to San Diego, and boasts drought tolerance as well as cold hardiness. You most often find white flowers of this varietal, and it even does well near the coast.

Vegetables: A great thing about winter vegetables is that they almost always bring some green to your landscape. Consider some leafy greens, and bulb varieties such as spinach, celery, kale, carrots, parsnips, turnips and leeks to add some green to your yard this winter.

Many local San Diegans like to take advantage of the mild year-round temperatures by creating outdoor seating and entertaining areas. You can light up your front or back yard with outdoor holiday lights, incorporate fire pits for warmth, an host a unique outdoor evening in the dead of winter!

California Landscaping January 2006

admin — Thu, 30 Dec 2010 00:56:15 +0000

In the three-page article shown below, California Landscaping's January 2006 issue also covered the 2004 CLCA Trophy Awards which features Bradley Landscape who takes the top Trophy Award, the Sweepstakes Award. Feel free to click on an image shown below to read the detailed review.

San Diego July 2005

admin — Thu, 30 Dec 2010 00:53:16 +0000

For the first time ever, a local San Diego landscaping company won the best overall entry at the CLCA Trophy Awards. That company was Bradley Landscape Development! View the July 2005 issue below that discuss the Best of Show award.

California Landscaping March-April 2005

admin — Thu, 30 Dec 2010 00:47:35 +0000

In the spring of 2005, the CLCA sponsored the Annual Trophy Awards for excellence in landscaping. Bradley Landscape Development proudly took home the Sweepstakes Trophy.

Offshoot September 2001

admin — Thu, 30 Dec 2010 00:45:51 +0000

The 46th Annual Beautification Awards Program was also covered by Offshoot magazine. Their September 2001 issue is found below.

Decor and Style August 2001

admin — Thu, 30 Dec 2010 00:43:25 +0000

Bradley Landscape Development was honored to receive three first-place awards in regular construction and maintenance categories at the 46th Annual Beautification Awards Program, hosted by the CLCA (California Landscape Contractors Association). The local San Diego event was covered by Decor and Style in August 2001, and the article is found below.