Winter is an excellent time to seek value in patio hardscapes.  You may not be thinking of having Christmas dinner outside, but it could cost you to wait until your first backyard BBQ is around the corner to upgrade your outdoor living environment.  All the contractors worth their salt are met with a barrage of anxious customers when that first warm Colorado day heralds spring.  The schedules fill up fast, stretch throughout summer, and priority work comes at a premium.  Every year I speak to a few homeowners who are trying to build a patio or an outdoor kitchen in time for their son’s graduation party or a daughter’s wedding.

During the “off season” contractors definitely have the capacity to plan & estimate your project, and if weather permits, they may have the motivation to work at reduced margins to benefit their labor force, which might be facing a diminishing workload.  If you are flexible enough to let them work around the weather, winter construction can present an excellent value.  If maximum value is the primary consideration, tell your contractor. They may be able to find specials on certain material, but be open to suggestions.  If timing and budget is more of a concern, you can schedule the construction and cost in the early spring, and you will still reap the benefit of good planning with a contractor motivated to earn your business.

At any time of year, don’t make price your only concern when shopping for contractors.  Less qualified tradesmen can feel more pressure to undercut a competitive market, which usually leads to an installation that does not meet minimum specifications.  You want the job done right and you want it to stand up to the harsh elements of the Front Range.  Longevity must be figured in to the value of any construction project, and sometimes a dollar spent today is worth several 10 years or more into the life of your investment. Ask neighbors for referrals or consult a resource like Arbor Valley who has developed a network of qualified, screened landscape contractors.  Suppliers who are familiar with their customer’s expertise can be a valuable resource in narrowing the pool of appropriate candidates.

Chicago Brick Oven Ovens Are “In”

POSTED BY CBOUSER ON JUL 13, 2011 IN BLOG | 1 COMMENT

For outdoor entertaining, wood burning brick ovens from Chicago Brick Ovens are “in.” Chicago Brick Oven’s Belgard model was recently featured on the popular home décor blog Apartment Therapy. 

• $3,700-$13,000
• Chicago Brick Oven

I saw this yesterday at the Housewares show: really nice, simple solution for wood burning oven lovers. Made by Chicago Brick Oven, these come in many sizes and as kits.

Now thats different.....

This relatively slow growing upright Austrian Pine cultivar that  has very stiff green needles with bright white candles that jump out against the green needles in the spring.  Oregon Green Austrian Pine, Pinus nigra 'Oregon Green' is a dense multi-stemmed evergreen tree with a distinctive and refined

pyramidal form. Its relatively fine texture sets it apart from other landscape plants with less refined foliage.
Oregon Green Austrian Pine will grow to be about 20 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 20 feet. It has a
low canopy, and is suitable for planting under power lines. It grows at a medium rate, and under ideal
conditions can be expected to live for 60 years or more.  We have a few 6' specimens in stock.

Yes, the bark is supposed to do that!

Ask any plant geek and they will tell you this plant is one of their favorites.  And again, very hard to find 6' specimens!  Lacebark Pine, Pinus bungeana, as an extremely showy exfoliating bark as you can see.  Like most pines it prefers full sun and well drained soils.  A very slow grower that eventually reaches 30-50' tall and 20-35' wide but here I would suggest it will take a long, long time to get there.  We have just a few for 2010 and I'm betting Matt Ruud will be taking one home as well. 

Something from the Swiss besides cheese!

Another cool tree that is hard to find is Swiss Stone Pine, Pinus cembra.  A very slow grower that will eventually (not in my lifetime) grow to 40' tall and 15-20' wide.  It has 2-3" soft bluish needles and 2-3" terminal cones that are a very attractive violet turning purplish brown.  Keep it away from the evening southwest sun and brutal northwest wind and remember it likes a moist but well drained soil.  Its a little bit high maintenence but something you don't see everywhere.  We have a few 6' specimens for 2010.

A good tree for somewhat smaller spots

Now this little feller is one I have seen many times on bid requests and have all to often had to reply "Yeah right", not in my lifetime.  Well touring round Oregon this past summer I stumbled on a field of these specimens and couldn't resist getting some for this spring.  Compact Austrian Pine, Pinus nigra 'Compacta', is a slower growing pine maturing to 15' tall and just 8'-10' wide.  Its branching habit is similar to regular Austrian Pine and holds up to snow loads much better than the Arnold's Sentinel.  These guys are grafted on Scotch Pine rootstock and should transplant much better than if they were on own root.  We have 6'-8' in stock now.  Come on by and check em out, they won't last too long!

Want to try something "Cool" this spring?

Frio River Bald Cypress

As a graduate of the University of Colorado at Boulder, I have become a person who embraces diversity in many regards. As it comes to landscape plants, I am learning more each and every day about the types of things that need to be identified in regards to achieving success in our Front Range environment. In reviewing various literature regarding "tough and drought tolerant" species you come across many varieties of plants that on the surface appear to be great candidates. One of the local municipalities has come up with such a list of recommended and not recommended trees for our area. Many trees on the not recommended list include some that tend to show intolerance for our higher pH soils, not that pH is the determining factor in nutrient deficiency leading to cholorosis which is an issue I will address at a later time. Regardless, one interesting recommended tree was Taxodium distichum, Common Bald Cypress, a deciduous conifer that has worked well on the plains east of here in many applications. Here, though, it gets chlorotic which is the primary reason it is not used much which may or may not have been considered prior to its placement on this list.

We now have a solid candidate for a cold hardy, alkaline tolerant Bald Cypress for our area. Taxodium distichum "Frio River" comes from a seed source located in SW Texas and has a high tolerance for alkaline soils as well as the natural ability to withstand anaerobic sites (heavy clay soils). It is cold hardy to USDA Zone 4, grows 50-70' in height with a spread of 25-35'. It is a new introduction to the market in landscape size grades and has not yet been evaluated in Colorado as far as I know. We have seen Bald Cypress specified on landscape plans lately and on recommended tree lists with various municipalities. We will be stocking a limited quantity of this plant this spring, in 2" and 2.5" caliper sizes. Please let us know early of your interest in using this plant as they are not widely available. Frio River Bald Cypress is definitely a "cool" tree that should become useful in diversifying our landscapes.