Disappearing Fountains

How–to Disappearing Fountain Installation


A Disappearing Fountain is a great way to add the sound and movement of water to your garden. Water is pumped from a hidden reservoir buried in the ground through the fountain piece and then seemingly disappears into the ground.
Using a pre-molded Reservoir, (our NWG unit is shown – installation may vary depending on the reservoir you use; check the manufactures instructions), installing a Disappearing Fountain is easier than ever. Disappearing Fountains are safe for young children because there is no open water. They provide water to pets and wildlife. Birds often visit Disappearing Fountains for a drink of water; and the millstone fountain makes a great birdbath.

Disappearing Fountains can be created from nearly anything. Traditional choices are decorative pots, statues, fountains or waterfalls. We even created a Disappearing Fountain from a trashcan just to prove our point.
Pot or Piece Choices
Granite and Basalt pieces will last forever. Mexican Urns are unglazed, come in earth tones, and have a 1-5 year life expectancy. Glazed Pots and Cast Stone Statuary come in numerous sizes and shapes, in a wide range of colors and have a 20+ year life expectancy.
Installation Directions:
1.Dig your hole about 14? deep, (or the depth recommended by the basin manufacturer you choose) and fill the bottom with 1? of sand. Note - Before you start digging check for buried utilities, cables, and sprinkler systems.
2.Place the reservoir in the excavation and level.
3.Backfill soil around the box packing in firmly.
4.Cut a 1 ½´ x 2´ piece from the corner of one of the grates. This becomes the trapdoor for pump maintenance.
5.Place the cinder blocks in the box; one in each corner and one bridging the adjoining pieces of grating (including the trap door).
6.Place 2-3 cinder blocks (depending on the piece) in the middle. For light pieces place the grating on top of the cinder blocks. Heavy pieces require several cinder blocks and must sit directly on the blocks with the grate cut away to go around the piece.
7.Place the mesh over the grating; cut a hole in the mesh for the tubing.
8.Connect the tubing to the piece (leave a fairly long piece of tubing exiting the fountain).
9.Pots that hold a large volume of water will need a check valve or stand pipe connected to the tubing inside the piece to prevent the water from flowing out when the pump is turned off.
10.Place the pump inside the box. We recommend using a Cal Screen on the intake of the pump to protect the intake of the pump.
11.Thread the tubing through the cracks of the grating and slowly lower the piece into place. Once in place, level the pot using shims.
12.Connect the tubing to the pump and clamp.
13.Put the decorative topping around the piece on top of the grating and mesh.
14.Turn on pump and enjoy.
Choose the Right Reservoir
Although you may be tempted to opt for a smaller reservoir due to space, labor and cost considerations there are some good reasons to go with a larger reservoir.
1. The larger the reservoir the greater volume of water it can hold and the less often you need to re-fill it.
2. Tall pieces 4´ or higher need a bigger box, water droplets have farther to fall and thus tend to splash out of the reservoir boundaries.
3. Larger reservoirs give you the opportunity to add additional pieces to your fountain display.
4. Larger reservoirs allow for a greater water flow creating more water "music."
Instillation Tip
We've learned this the hard way; always connect the tubing to the piece and then to the pump not the other way around. We also recommend installing a valve on all pumps to control the flow of water coming out of the piece to match your expectations.
Care of Your Disappearing Fountain
The reservoir must be kept filled with water and can be accomplished in several ways:
1. Fill the fountain as needed with a garden hose.
2. Site the fountain near an irrigation head, so the sprinkler keeps the reservoir filled. Nelson's does not recommend using automatic fill devices because they frequently "stick" and don't shut off.
The fountain piece will need to be scrubbed occasionally to remove algae and scale. Fountec (safe for birds and pets) can be used to control algae growth but must be added every week. Use Protec to minimize hard water stains (especially on dark fountains or fountains close to windows) on a monthly basis. Note: Some folks prefer the natural patina of algae on the pieces, in which case no scrubbing, or Fountec, is necessary.

Tips for Autumn! Spruce Up Your Outdoor Living

Tips for Autumn Spruce Up!

Spruce Up the Lawn

While brilliant fall foliage can automatically make your home look more attractive for showings, that doesn't mean you can slack off on lawn maintenance during this season. Keep falling leaves at bay, use a good per-emergent fertilizer, and make sure to spread Rye seed in October-November to keep your lawn green and strengthen core by keeping weeds out! 

 

Add Fall Flowers

Once your lawn is looking its best, spice it up with a splash of color. As your summer plants start to fade, replace them with vibrant mums or other colorful flowers known for their Autumn look! 

 

Clean the Gutters

  During the fall, be sure to clean your gutters and downspouts of leaves and other debris, which will acquire mostly in the Fall time while rain season is approaching.

 

Light It Up

As the days get shorter, it becomes increasingly important to provide more light for security reasons and also to show off your beautiful landscaping! Ask us about illuminating your landscaping at 281-914-7788 or email us at arborlife@arbor-life.com

 

 

Good Autumn Plants to Plant!

 Here are some good choices for your Autumn Planting:

 

1.Aster

A wonderful cut flower, asters make any garden explode with color at the end of the growing season. From miniature alpine plants to giants up to 6 feet tall, there are over 250 asters, with plenty of colors to choose from. Asters are a great way to brighten up the fall landscape in your backyard.

• Common Names: Aster, Michaelmas daisy.
• Botanical Name: Aster.
• Hardiness: Zones 3 to 8.
• Bloom Time: Late summer through fall.
• Size: 3 to 6 feet high (dwarf varieties are shorter).
• Flowers: Purple, white, pink, blue, and red daisy-like flowers.
• Light Needs: Full sun to partial shade.
• Growing Advice: Can be planted any time during growing season, preferably early in northern states, so cultivars can get established before winter. Plant at least 2 feet apart with the crown even with the soil surface.
• Prize Picks: For the ultimate in low-maintenance gardening, choose Purple Dome asters, which form a small, tight mass of blooms that require no pinching or staking. Alma Potschke can reach heights of 4 feet and usually need staking; its flowers are vivid pink.

2.Burning bush

One of the most common landscape plants in North America, this shrub is prized for its hardy constitution and brilliant fall foliage. It's one of the first shrubs to change color in autumn, when its dark-green leaves become blazing red. After the leaves drop, burning bush offers another season of interest. The stems have twisted and corky ridges that are especially pretty when covered with snow.
Burning bush has a dense growth habit and is easily pruned for use as a hedge. It thrives almost anywhere, tolerating a wide range of soil types and light conditions.

• Common Name: Burning bush, winged euonymus, winged spindle tree.
• Botanical Name: Euonymus alatus.
• Hardiness: Zones 4 to 8 or 9.
• Bloom Time: Inconspicuous, late spring.
• Foliage: Toothed leaves are dark-green in spring and summer, and turn bright red in autumn.
• Light needs: Full sun to light shade.
• Growing Advice: Plant in a hole that's as deep as, but wider than, the root ball. For shrub borders, space plants 4 to 6 feet apart. Remove any twine or burlap after plants are in place.
• Prize Picks: Compactus is more dense and compact than its full-sized relative.

3.Dahlia

These showy flowers quickly gained popularity after Spanish explorers discovered them in Central American gardens. The kings of Spain named them in honor of Swedish botanist Anders Dahl, who created many hybrids.

• Common Names: Dahlia.
• Botanical Name: Dahlia.
• Hardiness: Zones 8 to 11.
• Bloom Time: Midsummer to first frost.
• Size: 2 to 8 feet high, 1 to 3 feet wide.
• Flowers: Every color but blue and green; shape varies from pompon to daisy-like shapes.
• Light needs: Full sun.
• Growing Advice: Plant tuberous roots in spring after last frost, placing them 4 inches deep with "eye" pointing up. Stake taller varieties.
• Prize Picks: 'Show 'N' Tell's' twisted red petals give this semi-cactus cultivar a tousled look. Ball dahlias - like the small white-tipped crimson bloom 'Kenora's Fireball' - offer a full pompom of inwardly-curved florets.

4.Japanese maple

The unique form, delicate and often colorful leaves and smooth gray bark give Japanese maples year-round appeal. These graceful trees work in traditional landscapes as well as theme gardens. There are more than 300 cultivars. With so many options, it's easy to picture one of these serene beauties in your landscape.

• Common Names: Japanese maple.
• Botanical Name: Acer palmatum.
• Hardiness: Zones 5 or 6 to 8, depending on cultivar.
• Bloom Time: May or June.
• Size: 15 to 25 feet high, 15 to 25 feet wide.
• Flower/Foliage: Small red to purple flower clusters; deeply lobed leaves with five to 11 "fingers." Summer colors range from green to red and purples, with autumn hues of various reds and golds.
• Light Needs: Prefers dappled shade, but will tolerate full sun.
• Growing Advice: Plant balled-and-burlapped or container-grown trees in late winter or early spring. This gives the trees a chance to establish themselves before the stress of summer's heat or winter's cold.
• Prize Picks: Waterfall is considered the best of the green cutleaf forms and tolerates the heat found in Zone 8. If you're looking for season-long color, try the deep reddish-purple leaves of Bloodgood.

5.Smoketree

Have a burning desire for an easy-care plant that provides a lot of drama? A smoketree might be just the ticket. These deciduous trees and shrubs guarantee a stunning display in summer, when clouds of downy plume-shaped panicles seem to envelop the foliage in a smoky haze. As the weather cools and the panicles disappear, the leaves become bold shades of orange, red or yellow. Best of all, this unusual show will unfold with virtually no effort on your part.

• Common Names: Smoketree, smokebush, Venetian sumac, chittamwood.
• Botanical Name: Cotinus coggygria.
• Hardiness: Zones 5 to 8.
• Bloom Time: Insignificant flowers appear in June and July, followed by showy panicles through September.
• Size: Most are 14 to 20 feet high and 10 to 15 feet wide.
• Foliage: Oval green or purple leaves that become yellow, orange, scarlet, or purplish-red in fall.
• Light Needs: Full sun to partial shade. Purple-leafed varieties produce the best color in full sun.
• Growing Advice: Plant container-grown trees anytime during the growing season.
• Prize Picks: One of the showiest varieties is Daydream smokebush, which produces heavy drifts of fluffy brownish-pink panicles and has a dense growth habit.

6.Indian grass

Indian grass will add stunning greens, golden bronzes and warm blues to your garden throughout the year with little work on your part in return. Its natural look lends itself as a transition from more formal spaces, though it looks great among wildflower gardens as well.

• Common Names: Indian grass.
• Botanical Name: Sorghastrum.
• Hardiness: Zones 3 to 8.
• Size: Up to 8 feet high and 2 feet wide.
• Foliage: Blue-green leaves which turn purplish-blue in fall.
• Flowers: Golden- or red-brown flowerheads.
• Light Needs: Full sun.
• Growing Advice: Avoid wet soil in winter. Divide in mid-spring or early summer.
• Prize Picks: Sioux Blue has bright blue foliage and attains 4 to 6 feet.

7.Ornamental cabbage

Vegetables generally aren't grown for their beauty. Ornamental cabbage is definitely an exception. With vivid colors and showy rosettes of fall foliage, you wouldn't dare planting ornamental cabbage among its more edible counterparts. Instead, use as a colorful border or groundcover.

• Common Names: Ornamental cabbage.
• Botanical Name: Brassica oleracea var. capitata.
• Hardiness: Annual.
• Bloom Time: Grown for foliage.
• Size: 10 to 18 inches high, 12 to 18 inches wide.
• Foliage: Colorful green, lavender-blue, purple, red, pink, or white foliage intensifies in fall and early winter.
• Light Needs: Full sun to partial shade.
• Growing Advice: Seed directly in garden or small indoor containers 6 to 8 weeks before first predicted frost.
• Prize Picks: For big drama, seek out Flamingo Plumes, which is purple with hot pink interior. Rose Bouquet and Frizzy White are superb examples of those colors. 

Please contact us if you need help with your landscaping at:
281-914-7788
www.arbor-life.com

Great Autumn Trees to Plant in Houston

Here are some great additions to your Garden that look great in the Fall!

Green Ash(is native Texas tree) is very hardy and has a brilliant yellow fall foliage. These are hard to find but ask us at 281-914-7788 or email us at : arborlife@arbor-life.com

Black Gum(non native tree)A native to the eastern U.S., Black Gum is noted for its outstanding and consistent fall red color. Its wood, which is very strong, was used in colonial times for water pipes.
Following pollination, greenish flowers appearing in late spring develop into purple berries. It prefers moist soils and is
one of the most elegant trees of the North American lowlands. Like its name, nymph of the woods, the black gum or tupelo grows more graceful as the lives of those who fall in love with it move on from generation to generation. Its fall color comes early and is unmatched.

Swamp Chestnut-The leaves are simple, alternately arranged, 4" to 9" long, and 2 ½" to 5" wide. They are ob-ovate, broadest in the middle and above. The leaf base tapers to the petiole and the leaf tip is rounded. The upper leaf surface is lustrous, dark green and smooth while the underside is duller and fuzzy. Leaf margins are coarsely wavy-toothed. Leaves turn crimson in the fall.
Texas Pistache-(native tree)
This rare, evergreen tree from the Southwestern part of the state is an ideal choice for quickly screening out noise and poor views. Mature Texas pistache is a striking specimen tree, with its delicate foliage and attractive white, peeling bark. Trees are sexed, with female trees predominating. The small forming fruit is red, turning black as it dries. It is a favorite treat of songbirds and other wildlife. Foliage turns bronze/purple in the Fall and leaves regrow in late Winter.
Texas pistache is generally deer-resistant but tips will be nipped back when plants are small. We recommend only the most well drained locations for the plant, as it is susceptible to damage from prolonged contact with soggy soil.(look below at picture)

 Sassafras Tree is often grown as an ornamental tree for its unusual leaves and aromatic scent. Outside of its native area, it is occasionally cultivated in Europe.  Sassafras oil, is distilled from the root bark or the fruit. It was used as a fragrance in perfumes and soaps, food (sassafras tea and candy flavoring) and for aromatherapy. The smell of sassafras oil is said to make an excellent repellent for mosquitoes and other insects, which makes it a nice garden plant(which is good thing in Texas) Look below for tree picture! 

If you have any further questions about these trees or any other plants feel free to email us at : arborlife@arbor-life.com

Flagstone and Rock Edging

It is important when designing a new flowerbed or a new design to have proper landscape edging to hold soil, mulch, and moisture for the flowerbeds. Depending on the house backdrop or the surrounding areas with theme.

Here is a site that shows different types of flagstone, brick, and pavers for a good edging look!
Apex Stone

Check out our site if you need anymore additional information on materials or to contact us!
www.arbor-life.com

Summer coming to an End, Autumn Near!

An Open Letter to Arbor Life customers

Summer is Nearing End, and Autumn is Close!

The worst of the Houston heat and humidity will have subsided soon. Here are some tips on helping your lawn,trees, and plants with the seasonal change.is composed of a warm season turf grass or a cool season turf grass.

Fall Lawn Care Tip: Find Out Your Grass Type

These turfs are the common warm season turf that we use in our region:

•     Bermudagrass

•     Saint-Augustinegrass

•     zoysiagrass

•     buffalograss

These are the Tasks for Turfs this Season:

•     Apply herbicides to broadleaf weeds

•     Correct soil PH: if your lawn is not performing well, have your soil tested. If the soil test should show a need to reduce acidity, apply lime now. If alkalinity needs to be reduced, apply sulfur.

•     Aeration/Thatch removal: detach your lawn, by raking; for bad cases of soil compaction, you may have to employ the technique known as core aeration, for which lawn equipment known as "aerators" can be bought or rented

•     Rake leaves, or use a leaf vacuum, lest the leaves smother your grass over the winter

•     Less watering in Autumn: set your schedule back to 60-70% budget and gradually this rate should be 10%-0% by winter time.

•     Fertilization: apply 1 pound of nitrogen per 1000 per square foot of lawn.(32-0-10 is a sufficient fertilizer for this season).

•     Overseed with Rye Grass: this helps keep your lawn green and tightens up turf core to keep invading weeds from creeping in. 

Arbor Life services

5 Great Shade Trees for Planting in the Urban Forest

Here are some good ideas for some great shade trees! 

1. European white birch(shown in picture)-loved for its paper white bark and multiple trunks! It has a brilliant yellow autumn color. Hardy to Zone 3 but not good for dry summers or to ares where birch borers are prevalent.

2.Red horse chestnut-large roundish leaves and huge spikes of pink to reddish flower spikes top this bold textured tree.
Grows up to 50 ft. high and about 35 ft. wide, casting dense shade!

3.Russian Olive-Tough trees with narrow, silvery leaves. Fragrance is nice but not too showy.  Grows 30-35 ft. Hardy to Zone 2.

4.Ash-This an obvious choice. Many Houstonians hate this tree cause it grows very fast and need a lot maintenance. They can also thrive under many conditions!


5.Thorn less honey locust-Finely cut foliage casts a wonderful shade from this adaptable tree. Leaves turn yellow before dropping in autumn; leave little mess. Grows 40-60 feet high with a spreading habit. Sunburst or Ruby lace are two types.

Ask us about other trees for your area! Call us at 281-914-7788!
Or go to our contact page at:
http://www.arbor-life.com/contact.html