jeffersonlandscape-blog

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Landscaping isn’t just for backyards. Curb appeal is also extremely important. It’s the first thing people notice and the last thing they remember. Let us help you make a statement without saying a word! To schedule a consultation, please visit our website at JeffersonLandscape.com or click on the link in bio. ⬆️ • • • #JeffersonLandscapeAndDesign #CurbAppeal #Flagstone #FlagstoneWalkway #WaterFeature #MakeAStatement #BendaBoard #AccentLighting #LandscapeDesign #ProfessionalLandscaper #Landscapers_Of_Instagram #California #BayArea #Fremont #CastroValley #EastBay #TriValley #PopsOfColor (at Fremont, California) https://www.instagram.com/p/B1XMTuppw53/?igshid=1bobh6ct8026

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Did you know that Dragonflies consume 10 to 15 percent of their weight per day on insects such as mosquitoes, termites, deerflies, blackflies, horseflies and midges? And that the best lure is a body of water? Good news for pond owners! 🎉 To learn more about the benefits of dragonflies in your yard and how installing a pond can help, please read our blog at JeffersonLandscape.com or click on the link in bio. ⬆️ • • • #JeffersonLandscapeAndDesign #Blog #DragonFlies #Landscapers_Of_Instagram #ProfessionalLandscaper #Ponds #PondContractor #California #Fremont #CastroValley #EastBay #TriValley #EcoFriendly (at Fremont, California) https://www.instagram.com/p/B061s9ypMfB/?igshid=1fu0lp1ws0r1t

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FOR THE NEW POND OWNER

We hope you are enjoying your water feature as much as we enjoyed building it for you. While your pond is maintained by its own ecosystem, it must remain balanced to function properly in order to keep your maintenance efforts low so that your time can be spent enjoying your pond instead of worrying about it.

Let’s begin with the proper amount of Fish. A healthy water garden has approximately one inch of fish for every 10 gallons of pond water (120 inches = 1200 gallons); assume your fish's maximum size when calculating.  The gallon equation is L x D x W x 7.48. Therefore, an 11’x16’ pond that is 2’ deep has approximately 2600 gallons of water and should therefore have 26 ten inch fish.

When we installed your pond, we helped you get started with some aquatic plants. While there is not a formula for pond plants, I like to recommend one plant for every two fish. Although it depends on the size of the plants, thirteen is a good number for our 11’x16’ example. If you are having excess algae, you may not have enough plants – or fish!!

Do Not Over-feed your Fish. This will throw off your pond’s nitrogen cycle by spiking the ammonia nitrate levels. Goldfish DO NOT need to be fed; Koi should only be fed every two or three days and will be fine without being fed if you go on vacation.

Here is a list of common problems, or natural occurrences you may be experiencing, or may experience at some point in the future, and a corresponding list of products to solve your ecosystems’ woes and put it back on the right track.

Dry Aerobic Bacteria or Aqua Clearer Healthy water. To assist breaking down fish waste and should be added approximately once a month once your pond is established and you have exhausted the container we gave you.

Eco-Blast or Algae-Fix Usually because you got off to a late start with your fish, do not have enough fish/plants, or is in constant sunlight in a summer month.

Eco-Foam Away Proteins that get into the pond from soils after heavy rains or after planting etc. cause foam. Eco-Foam Away will handle it.

Eco-Carbon Removes water discoloration from tannins (tea color), reduces odors, organics and is an effective method to remove trace amounts of chlorine and chloramines.

Pond Salt Protects for Parasites. I like to use it, but never overdo it. 1 ½ cups per 100 gallons is sufficient and does not get added again unless the pond is drained from a clean out. Put it in your skimmer, or just in front of it, and allow it to dissolve. Never place Salt directly on plants or too close.

EcoFloc is excellent for clearing cloudy pond water.

Aquarium Pharmaceuticals puts out test kits that check the PH Level, Nitrites, Nitrates, Chloramines, Ammonia.

For additional information please see our blog and keep visiting www.jeffersonlandscape.com

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A combination of classic and modern, private and open, complex and simple. Landscaping is a living breathing entity and possess the same duality as people. It’s as multidimensional as you and I. What would your landscape say about you? To schedule a consultation, please visit our website at: JeffersonLandscape.com or click on the link in Bio ⬆️ • • • #JeffersonLandscapeAndDesign #ProfessionalLandscaper #Modern #Classic #OutdoorLighting #Privacy #MultiLevel #California #Fremont #CastroValley #EastBay #TriValley (at Fremont, California) https://www.instagram.com/p/B0jQ1FHJ-Sp/?igshid=wnqm6nblvxr4

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“A circle is the reflection of eternity. It has no beginning and it has no end.” - Maynard James Keenan • • • #JeffersonLandscapeAndDesign #Circle #APerfectCircle #Flagstone #Waterfall #PondlessWaterfall #Pondless #Eternity #Art #ProfessionalLandscaper #California #EastBay #Fremont #CastroValley #TriValley #LinkInBio ⬆️ (at Fremont, California) https://www.instagram.com/p/B0hGyEyJ5Eq/?igshid=z55y6h45yhnr

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HOW ABOUT AN ARBOR?

Arbors date back to ancient Egypt but are probably are older than the written record. Later they were used in Greek and Roman gardens and by the late 16th Century they were all throughout Europe. In fact, as civilization spread, so did the use of arbors. As Americans settled the West so too came the arbor, where in California they have become quite popular.

Inspire your outdoor space!

An arbor in a landscape or garden can do more than just add a touch of elegance. It can provide shelter, privacy, shade and serve as an accent, or a focal point. An arbor adds a lot of character to a landscape and makes it unique. It defines garden spaces and influences the way you experience the garden. It adds a vertical zing. It creates contrast. Drama. And keeps your garden from being predictable. Arbors draw the eye upward making the garden feel larger. They serve to provide shade for patios or destination areas.

The posts and sunshade consist of an open framework to support colorful and fragrant vines or climbing roses, making it the perfect place to dine al fresco during the warm summer nights. Arbors can be built in many sizes and serve different purposes.  Transform your yard with structures that offer beauty, comfort and shade protection. They can be an ideal solution, whether you want the perfect outdoor place to entertain guests or a private place for reflection. They are terrific for patios or destination areas.

A short walk-thru arbor can be constructed as an entryway connecting one part of the garden with the other. They can blend in with the landscape or separate different garden areas and direct traffic.  Depending on where it’s put and how the landscape is laid out, it can often make the yard seem bigger; an admittance into a separate dimension. Walk-thru arbors offer a partial view into the garden; giving visitors an enticing glimpse of the private space beyond. After all, a peek is more tantalizing than a full view! It invites you to imagine what’s beyond the vines. What a great way to enter your home through any door! They are also a great way to make a fence more interesting.

They can be built over fence sections or over your gate!

Arbors only require permits if they are attached as a structure to your home. Build it free-standing and no permit is required! Jefferson Landscape and Design builds quality, beefy arbors using redwood. We sink steel anchors into three-foot concrete piers below the ground, then bolt the anchors into 6”x6” redwood posts above the grade, whether concrete, dirt or otherwise. The crosswise girders hug the posts and support the perpendicular joists (also on either side of the posts) and are all bolted through solidly. Then the smooth, surfaced 2”x2” shade boards that run parallel with the girders are screwed into the joists at either end. It won’t even shake! We stain and seal our client’s arbors to protect the wood so it lasts a long time. And we stain and seal the wood before we put it together to give it a professional, natural look! In addition, we give our arbors character by cutting custom scrolls at the end of the joists and girders.

Jefferson Landscape and Design

See for yourself! https://www.jeffersonlandscape.com

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We post a lot about stamped concrete, but what is it exactly? 🤷🏻‍♀️🤷🏻‍♂️ We’re glad you asked! Stamped concrete is concrete that is used in landscapes and is patterned to resemble stone and other natural patterns such as rock. This is the Ashlar Slate Pattern. Integral Color: Sandstone. Release Agent: Buff Tan. You can learn more about stamped concrete and the process we use in our blog. Please visit us at JeffersonLandscape.com or click on the link in bio. ⬆️ • • • #JeffersonLandscapeAndDesign #StampedConcrete #AshlarSlate #Sandstone #BuffTan #Blog #ProfessionalLandscaper #EcoFriendly #California #Fremont #CastroValley #EastBay #TriValley #Landscapers_Of_Instagram (at Fremont, California) https://www.instagram.com/p/B0RD9ELJVng/?igshid=tr6fnglygfmk

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Garden for Wildlife

Why should I garden for wildlife and register my yard as a Certified Wildlife Habitat?

It's fun! You'll attract beautiful songbirds, cheerful butterflies and other interesting wildlife to your yard. Watching wildlife can be fun for the whole family.

It's relaxing! The natural environment of your habitat will provide a peaceful place to relieve stress and unwind, day or night.

It makes your yard more attractive! Replacing a barren lawn with beautiful wildflowers and other native plants will increase the appeal of your property and will provide a nurturing place for wildlife.  

It fosters and supports wildlife all year! Habitat restoration is critical for wildlife where commercial and residential development has eliminated most natural areas. Wildlife especially need your help during the cold winter months.  

It benefits the environment! Gardening practices that help wildlife, like reducing chemicals and conserving water, also help to improve air, water and soil quality throughout your neighborhood.

It rewards you! The National Wildlife Federation will recognize your dedication to creating a place for wildlife in the modern world. When your habitat is certified, you'll receive a handsome, personalized Certificate of Achievement suitable for framing, recognizing your yard as part of the National Registry of Backyard Wildlife Habitat sites. With your permission, the National Wildlife Federation will also send a prepared press release to your local newspaper announcing your certification.  

It expands your gardening knowledge and lets you share your love of wildlife with others! Once certified, you'll receive a subscription to the quarterly newsletter, Habitats, providing you with a steady supply of tips and projects to maintain your Backyard Wildlife Habitat site year after year.  

If your yard is certified by National Wildlife Federation as a Backyard Wildlife Habitat site, you are eligible to receive a personalized certificate, a subscription to the National Wildlife Federation e-newsletter, Garden for Wildlife, receive a full year's membership in the National Wildlife Federation and a sign for your yard to demonstrate to your neighbors your commitment to wildlife conservation and the environment.  

As soon as you certify your yard or garden space, you will automatically become a member of National Wildlife Federation with full membership benefits, including a year's subscription to the award winning National Wildlife magazine.

 Certifying Your Habitat

Join the thousands of wildlife enthusiasts across the country that have been recognized for creating havens for neighborhood wildlife in their very own yards. These individuals have provided the essential elements for healthy and sustainable wildlife habitats and have earned the distinction of being part of National Wildlife Federation’s Certified Wildlife Habitat™ program.

When you certify with your application fee of $15, you’ll receive all these great benefits:

A personalized certificate that recognizes your NWF Certified Wildlife Habitat™.

A free NWF membership which includes a full year’s subscription to the award-winning National Wildlife® magazine.

A free subscription to the quarterly e-newsletter, Habitats, full of insightful tips and information on gardening and attracting wildlife year after year.

Your name listed in NWF’s National registry of certified habitats…to recognize all you’ve done for wildlife.  

And, once you complete your application, you’ll be eligible to purchase the “wildly” popular Certified Wildlife Habitat™ yard sign that shows your commitment to conserving wildlife.

  All you need to do is provide elements from each of the following areas:

Food Sources. For example: Native plants, seeds, fruits, nuts, berries, nectar  

Water Sources. For example: Birdbath, pond, water garden, stream

Places for Cover. For example: Thicket, rock pile, birdhouse  

Places to Raise Young. For example: Dense shrubs, vegetation, nesting box, pond  

Sustainable Gardening. For example: Mulch, compost, rain garden, chemical-free fertilizer

Let’s get started!

http://www.nwf.org/CertifiedWildlifeHabitat

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Weekend vibes has us like, “two tickets to Paradise.” 🎶 What are your weekend plans? To schedule a consultation, please visit our website at www.JeffersonLandscape.com or clink on the link in bio. ⬆️ • • • #JeffersonLandscapeAndDesign #Waterfalls #Paradise #LandscapeDesign #ProfessionalLandscaper #Landscapers_Of_Instagram #California #Fremont #CastroValley #TriValley #EastBay #EcoFriendly (at Fremont, California) https://www.instagram.com/p/B0HZ2upJ9eD/?igshid=aud0m3lxa2kl

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Did you know that caring for a pond takes less effort than maintaining a lawn? The ecosystem created by installing a pond does most of the work for you. However, there are still a few basic things every proud pond owner should know. You can read all about them in our Watergarden Maintenance blog at JeffersonLandscape.com • • • ⬆️ Link In Bio • • • #JeffersonLandscapeAndDesign #Ponds #Watergarden #Maintenance #Blog #ProfessionalLandscaper #PondContractor #California #EastBay #Fremont #CastroValley #EcoSystem #EcoFriendly (at Fremont, California) https://www.instagram.com/p/BztpFoNJLLi/?igshid=w88s5a6ugy7s

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Tiers can add depth and dimension to any landscape. Tiers can turn an unusable slope into an area for a vegetable garden, flower beds or more space for the kids to run and play. Tiers can also make any size yard look and feel bigger. • • • #JeffersonLandscapeAndDesign #Tiers #ProfessionalLandscaper #Landscapers_Of_Instagram #LandscapeContractor #VegetableGardens #FlowerBeds #Possibilities #California #Fremont #CastroValley #EastBay (at Fremont, California) https://www.instagram.com/p/BzoiuUcJMxu/?igshid=1al6lw7naiwyp

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Nothing is more delightful than walking out into a beautiful garden and have it come to life with an array of butterflies. 🦋 Do you want to attract more butterflies, but unsure of the plants and flowers they prefer? Please read our blog about Butterfly Gardens and learn the plants and flowers that will attract the most butterflies and how the proper placement of those plants can help produce more and more butterflies for years to come. •⬆️ Link In Bio • • • • #JeffersonLandscapeAndDesign #Butterflies 🦋#ButterflyGardens 🌿🌺 #Blog #ProfessionalLandscaper #LandscapeContractor #California #Fremont #CastroValley #EastBay #EcoFriendly (at Fremont, California) https://www.instagram.com/p/Bzl7L5npPr-/?igshid=go1jutd4rcur

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All of us at Jefferson Landscape And Design would like to wish all of you a Happy and Safe 4th Of July!! 💥🎇🎆🇺🇸 • • • #JeffersonLandscapeAndDesign #4thOfJuly #Happy4th #America #GoldenGateBridge #Fireworks #California #Fremont #CastroValley #EastBay #ProfessionalLandscaper #Landscapers_Of_Instagram (at Fremont, California) https://www.instagram.com/p/BzgSf-jJikn/?igshid=k67m33wswmgd

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Do you love seeing hummingbirds visit your yard? 😍 Have you put out a “feeder” but attract more bees and ants than hummers? 🐝🐜😡 Ditch the feeder and plant a hummingbird garden instead!! 🌺🌸 Plus hummers are an important part of the pollination network and vital for humans and our food sources (as we learned in our Pollinator Week posts). To read more about hummingbirds and how to plant a garden that will attract them year after year, please check out our blog. •⬆️Link In Bio• • • #JeffersonLandscapeAndDesign #Hummingbirds #Gardens #Blog #Pollinators #California #Fremont #CastroValley #EastBay #EcoFriendly (at Fremont, California) https://www.instagram.com/p/BzeL13XJcCf/?igshid=1azxdptinzuiw

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An arbor in a landscape or garden can do more than just add a touch of elegance. It can provide shelter, privacy, shade, and serve as an accent. It can blend in with the landscape or separate different garden areas and direct traffic. It defines garden spaces and influences the way you experience the garden. Its walls and roof consist of open framework to support colorful and fragrant vines. It’s also the perfect place to dine al fresco during the warm summer nights. 🍽🍷🌕⭐️ • • • #Arbors #JeffersonLandscapeAndDesign #HandCrafted #LandscapeDesign #ProfessionalLandscaper #California #Fremont #CastroValley #EastBay #AlFrescoDining (at Fremont, California) https://www.instagram.com/p/BzMMVdjJxzd/?igshid=1lh4qtg7msngs

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To close out National Pollinator Week, did you know that birds are also pollinators? It’s true! 🦜 Did you also know that the Bay Area is home to over seventy-five different species of birds? 75!! 😱 Unfortunately, the bird population in the Bay Area has seen a steady decline in the past few decades. Deforestation, wild fires, climate change, urban sprawl and even the decline of monarchs, themselves, have all been contributing factors. To learn more about the birds that call the Bay Area home, as well as what trees they like to nest in and how installing a water feature can help, please visit our blog. •⬆️Link In Bio• #NationalPollinatorWeek 🐝🦋🦜🦇🐞 #JeffersonLandscapeAndDesign #Birds #WaterFeatures #California #BayArea #Fremont #CastroValley #ProfessionalLandscaper #Blog #EcoFriendly (at Fremont, California) https://www.instagram.com/p/BzE6OGYpuk1/?igshid=154lkxp5noosp

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National Pollinator Week is coming to an end, so let’s talk about the disappearance of the Monarch Butterfly! 🦋 Monarch Butterflies inhabit and breed on more than a billion acres across North America throughout the year! Sadly, Monarch Butterflies have substantially dropped off over the past few decades – a devastating 96.5 percent to be exact. To read more about the blight of the Monarch Butterfly and how you can help, please visit our blog. •⬆️Link In Bio• #NationalPollinatorWeek 🐝🦋🦜🦇🐞 #JeffersonLandacapeAndDesign #MonarchButterfly #Butterflies #EndangeredSpecies #Blog #California #Fremont #CastroValley #EastBay #ProfessionalLandscaper (at Fremont, California) https://www.instagram.com/p/BzEaShPpPcI/?igshid=du50hersb4so