Originally Posted by Veracity (Post 2331389)

Thank you for the advice in the original post. We moved into a new construction home in January and have not touched the landscaping. We have fairly small lots, but many, many of our neighbors have torn it all out and replaced it with elaborate landscaping consisting of palms, mature shrubs, multi-level shrub beds, and rocks. We actually like the landscaping that was included with our house and have done nothing other than keep it weeded, watered, and fertilized. It has been six months and our yard is thriving. Because of what everyone else is doing, sometime we think we should do more, but why spend the money when we like what we have (even the pine straw looks great as long as it's kept weeded which is not a hard thing to do)? So thank you, Ozzello, for keeping it real. It will be years (if ever) before we consider changing the landscaping on our house.

Originally Posted by Shipping up to Boston (Post 2331226)

Maybe you should’ve prefaced your post with your demands on what a potential response should or should not be.
Yours was more of a diatribe.....usually posts like this remind of a quote ‘ do you have any questions.....No?...then you must have all the answers!’

You’re on the wrong medium if you think you’re going to dictate to the membership!

Originally Posted by Ozzello (Post 2331099)

Attn. Owners of newly constructed homes! STOP the CRAZY!

Stop putting rocks around your "stock" landscape.
Stop trying to keep a bunch of those shrubs, as most are small trees and planted too close together and too close to your home.

80% of the homeowners having landscaping done to a new home, will be calling another landscaper in 2-5 years to "fix" it. Good designs will actually IMPROVE for a minimum of 7 years.

All that gravel you are putting in to stop weeds, doesn't, and creates hard to clean messes when you have to start trimming all those shrubs you mistakenly kept. AND, the gravel makes the re-do cost more.

If you found your landscaper because they knocked on your door, they aren't the real deal. But neither are some of those big outfits with huge advertising and huge retail nurseries that send SALESPEOPLE calling themselves designers to wow you.

HINT: if they want you to come pick out what plants you want, and you aren't educated in the field, you have the wrong landscaper.

Just because all your neighbors are rushing to get an upgraded landscape, don't just jump in. WAIT and WATCH. look at stuff at least 3 years old (or even 10+ years if you're smart) from the landscaper you are thinking of dealing with.

With that 80% chance of having a poor job done, even at 3 or 4 estimates, good chance you haven't found a good designer/installer with a real education and the integrity to give you the lasting landscape, instead of the "job security" landscape.

Good luck all.

Originally Posted by Ozzello (Post 2331324)

Sorry. Poke the bear for a couple years and he stops being all cuddly. I hope a few people read this and avoid expensive re-dos to the landscape, as is my intention.

This IS a landscape forum, open for all to voice opinions and facts. I'll keep giving good advice, and others can keep jumping in telling people they need to ask someone else.

As far as the soil issue. even mulch won't repair the alkaline "soil" here in TV. The roots will not grow into the soil even after years, only spread just below the mulch. I suggest coffee for the tannic acid, a little bit spread all around , and very often for the first couple years. Only acidifying your soil will get your plants to thrive.. only water is more important than pH. Mulch or rocks can be a good ground cover, but you can't ignore the rest of the formula.

Originally Posted by Rzepecki (Post 2331422)

I’m curious . . . What is it that makes you an “expert” that we should listen to?

Originally Posted by Ozzello (Post 2331222)

But they don't actually DO landscaping, or design a landscape for you, or take responsibility for the landscape you get according to the advice they give... like a good landscape design and installation company does.
Let's try to keep this thread on topic and not derail to ARC approval or Master Gardener advice. Like many, many... MANY threads seem to do. Due to very few (but very busy people) who seem to give exactly the same advice to oh SO MANY different questions.
New homeowners all have been given the rundown upon closing about the ARC, and the many clubs (including Master Gardeners) they could join or ask advice of. Sometimes, on THIS site, there are people that have a lot of experience with the questions being asked, and they already know what the ARC rules are, and what the gardening club members are suggesting.
As a point, the last time I went into the Master Gardeners "Help" thing at the Sumter Library, as I waited for my turn, the master gardeners didn't know the answers to the folks questions ahead of me, and I ended up pretty much teaching a class for 30 minutes. Not bragging, but when I post here to help people with what I see as common issues, trying to get those people to "go ask a Master Gardener" instead of taking my advice seems to happen A LOT. But only from 1 poster..over and over and over ... for YEARS.
Maybe you could just start a thread, like "Make SURE you submit to the ARC" and "The Master Gardeners are here to help". Haven't seen those here yet.
But thanks for the redundant replies.

Originally Posted by Ozzello (Post 2331405)

Not "dictating", only fervently wishing the constant derailing of every thread over the years would stop.

With the overtone of "no one here knows the right answer, go elsewhere"? Kinda passive aggressive in the context that there are several very smart people that frequent this forum and give informative answers. And have for years.
Many are even Master Gardeners.
If you read a few older posts on this forum, you might see what I mean.

Originally Posted by Happydaz (Post 2331263)

Rock mulches on top of landscaping fabric only seal the plants in poor soil. Organic mulches improve the soil and add beneficial bacteria and fungi that support improved plant growth. This is referred to as the “Soil Food Web.” Rock mulches on top of dead, poor soils condemn plants to poor growth. Look at rock mulch yards and you will see after 5 years the weeds are growing in the rocks and the plants look unhealthy and don’t grow well. Then look at yards with bark mulches or pine straw and those plants will look better and are healthier. You have to feed the soil to have good plant growth. One of the principles of the University of Florida is to use organic mulches.

Originally Posted by rsmurano (Post 2331475)

I’ll take rock all the time. Lay down rock and forget it, lay down any mulch or pine straw and it looks like crap in 6 months. You have weeds growing thru rock beds and even more weeds growing thru mulch beds. If I have flower or plant droppings on my rock beds, I can blow them out of my rock beds easy. You can’t do that in mulch beds.

Originally Posted by Ozzello (Post 2331324)

Sorry. Poke the bear for a couple years and he stops being all cuddly. I hope a few people read this and avoid expensive re-dos to the landscape, as is my intention.

This IS a landscape forum, open for all to voice opinions and facts. I'll keep giving good advice, and others can keep jumping in telling people they need to ask someone else.

As far as the soil issue. even mulch won't repair the alkaline "soil" here in TV. The roots will not grow into the soil even after years, only spread just below the mulch. I suggest coffee for the tannic acid, a little bit spread all around , and very often for the first couple years. Only acidifying your soil will get your plants to thrive.. only water is more important than pH. Mulch or rocks can be a good ground cover, but you can't ignore the rest of the formula.

Originally Posted by Ozzello (Post 2331222)

But they don't actually DO landscaping, or design a landscape for you, or take responsibility for the landscape you get according to the advice they give... like a good landscape design and installation company does.
Let's try to keep this thread on topic and not derail to ARC approval or Master Gardener advice. Like many, many... MANY threads seem to do. Due to very few (but very busy people) who seem to give exactly the same advice to oh SO MANY different questions.
New homeowners all have been given the rundown upon closing about the ARC, and the many clubs (including Master Gardeners) they could join or ask advice of. Sometimes, on THIS site, there are people that have a lot of experience with the questions being asked, and they already know what the ARC rules are, and what the gardening club members are suggesting.
As a point, the last time I went into the Master Gardeners "Help" thing at the Sumter Library, as I waited for my turn, the master gardeners didn't know the answers to the folks questions ahead of me, and I ended up pretty much teaching a class for 30 minutes. Not bragging, but when I post here to help people with what I see as common issues, trying to get those people to "go ask a Master Gardener" instead of taking my advice seems to happen A LOT. But only from 1 poster..over and over and over ... for YEARS.
Maybe you could just start a thread, like "Make SURE you submit to the ARC" and "The Master Gardeners are here to help". Haven't seen those here yet.
But thanks for the redundant replies.

Originally Posted by rickaslin (Post 2331490)

Where can I take a soil sample to get tested ?