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Landscaping is extremely important for homeowners, even though you may not realize it. But, landscaping provides you with a place that’s comfortable to enjoy the great outdoors, and give your entire home a facelift and in return make your home worth more than it was before. The more you upkeep your yard and landscaping, the better for you and your neighbors.

At first glance, you might think that landscaping isn’t that hard. While you’re partially correct, depending on the project you want to do, but to do an entire facelift to your yard and know what needs to go where, it’s imperative that you hire a professional landscaper that has years of experience. Before you start stocking up and sod, plants, and bricks, it’s important that you realize how a professional, experienced landscaper will benefit you compared to just hiring someone you saw on a street poster. From experience to materials and ideas, there are dozens of benefits from hiring a professional.

So, where do you start on the process of hiring a landscaper to beautify your home and yard? Let’s start by having you ask your potential candidates some questions and look for these warning signs.

What Warning Signs To Look For And Questions To Ask

There are essentially five warning signs that a potential landscaping candidate isn’t properly equipped to handle the job that you’re asking them to do. First, and probably the most important thing to ask, is to see their license and insurance paperwork. If they can’t even do that, do NOT work with them. Landscapers should always have the proper license and insurances to cover themselves, and their employees, on a worksite. If you end up working with them and they don’t have these essentials, you run the risk of eating up the cost of an injury or a improperly installed yard.

Next, look out for any sharp changes in your original quote compare to after the company starts working on your project. This is another warning sign that you’re not dealing with a professional. Yes, things can change on your quote depending on any problems or issues that the landscaping company runs into, but there shouldn’t be a huge difference in the amount that was quoted. This is actually a sign that the amateur was trying to just give you an intriguing low quote just to get your business in the first place.

Did you get a thorough consultation before your landscaping work even began? Make sure this is done, as if not, you’re not working with a professional. At Water Solutions Company, we offer a full assessment of your soil and lighting in order to determine what plants, trees, shrubs, and flowers will grow the best. Additionally, we provide information about possible wildlife that will be either attracted, or repelled, by the certain plants you pick out. This information is important to know if you don’t want these critters drawn to your yard. Because we are professionals, we give you advice on what you can do with fences and building up colors in order to harmonize your landscaping.

Do you keep getting cancelled on or have major delays when the company you hired is supposed to work? That’s a definite warning sign. A professional will always be on time, and ready to get the job done. Sure, delays may come up depending on issues that arise, because that’s life, but if working with a professional the landscaper will contact you and let you know beforehand.

Finally, watch out for negative attitudes, a poor work ethic, and anyone who dispels your ideas and wishes for your yard. A professional landscaper should always, and will always be able to take your ideas and make them work cohesively into a beautiful yard.

The Process of Landscaping Your Home

While you may think your yard just needs a few flowers, trees, and shrubs, a professional landscaper will bring out the true charm of your home and your entire property. This will include assessing fences, the home, any other structures that contribute to your property’s overall image, and assessing the wildlife that may come into your yard. When you a hire a professional the process will go a little something like this.

First, a professional landscaping company, such as Water Solutions Company, will provide a full assessment of soil and lighting in order to determine what plants and trees will grow best for your yard. This is important if you don’t have a natural green thumb, a good sense of plant care, of have recently moved to the area and aren’t used to the climate and soil yet.

Next, you’ll get the opportunity to select from attractive plants and discuss your ideas and plans for arranging them into your landscaping. This is perfect for someone who doesn’t know a lot about how the size and color of plants work together to create an appealing landscaping that highlights each part of your property.

After you choose your plants and talk about where you’ll be putting them, your professional landscaper should talk about any wildlife that will be attracted or repelled by certain plants, trees, shrubs, etc. you chose. As we stated earlier, this is important information if you don’t want to draw any wildlife attention. But, if you do want to attract animals like hummingbirds, butterflies, or deer, please let the professional know because that helps determine the set up of your plants.

Finally, your professional will talk to you about adding fences and building up colors to harmonize with the landscape materials you have chosen. This is extremely important as landscaping is much more than just adding some plants and a nice walkway. To fully complement your home’s curb appeal, you’ll need to think about lighting, colors, fencing, and hardscaping. This is also where you can talk with your landscaping company about patios, retaining walls, fire pits or fireplaces, walkways, and outdoor kitchens.

To get started with the process of hiring a professional landscaping company, contact us today! Water Solutions Company has years of experience and only works with the best of the best. Plus, you’ll get a free estimate before we even begin!

Spring kicks off on March 20, and while we are a few months away, it’s never too early to start making preparations. Your landscaping is such an investment and value to your home, so it is best to treat it with care to ensure it flourishes during the warmer months. Use this spring checklist for all of your landscaping needs, and what you need to consider when it comes to sprinklers in Denver.

Pruning

As one of the top tasks you will do this spring, pruning is the process of cutting off any dying, dead or overgrown stems and branches of your trees and plants. During this process you will not need to do extensive work, just enough off any surfaces that need tended to. This will remove any infected areas that could lead to further damage on your trees and plants. Pruning is also one of your landscaping tasks that can be done either in the late winter or the first month of spring. To decide what you need to do, review the late winter and early spring pruning guide.

Pre-Emergent

Did you struggle with pesky weeds in your garden or landscaping last year? Spraying a pre-emergent will help curb or solve this problem—saving you valuable time from having to pull weeds this summer. The ideal time to spray a pre-emergent is at the beginning of spring when just before or when your plants begin to bloom. This will penetrate within the surface, with a goal being to stop weeds from sprouting out of the ground altogether. When they don’t make it to the surface, that is less work for you!

Check Tools

The last thing you want this spring is to get out some of your go-to landscaping tools and machinery, only to find out they are malfunctioning or broken. While we are still in the winter months, make sure to inspect your tools and machines to ensure they are properly working. This will allow you to see what quality shape they are in, and make fixes as needed.

Clean Up Plant/Flower Beds

Even though you may have cleaned up your plant beds before winter, when spring rolls around, you will want to do the same to move out any debris that have fallen in the areas before you mulch. This includes a variety of tasks including removing leaves, pruning, seeding, and spraying your pre-emergent. You can also clean off any landscaping décor you have and do some re-arranging! Make sure you also are preparing spring mulching for your landscaping in Denver, CO.

When to Turn on Sprinklers

If you have sprinklers in your yard, be sure to make them a top priority before using them in the spring.  Make note that is best to wait until your area does not have freezing temperatures. This can lead to pipes bursting. Contact your local sprinkler service to ensure your sprinklers are in premier shape and to prepare them to use.

As you are making your spring landscaping plans, make sure to contact Water Solutions Sprinkler Service. We can assist with any help you need preparing for spring, including the inspection of your sprinklers. Don’t have sprinklers? There has never been a better time to install them! Call us today at 720-435-1495 to get an estimate.

You’ve probably heard of sod, and either have gotten it installed in your yard before or know of someone that has. Maybe you’ve driven past a house with rolls of grass just sitting on top of dirt and wondered what was going on. Regardless, we’d take a bet that you don’t know all about sod just yet.

What Is Sod?

Technically, sod is living grass that has been planted by seed on a professional farm. After growing for ten to eighteen months, it is harvested by slicing a very thin layer of topsoil, usually about an inch thick. These designated sod farmers will sow various lawn types or a combination of them including Kentucky Bluegrass or perennial rye grass. Sod grass will always be healthier than typical grass that has been planted because it’s been professionally grown. Strong roots are essential for healthy grass, and sod grass has been planted in the best soil, has been regularly fertilized, and has been watered the proper amount.

Advantages of Sod

Properly installed sod that’s been laid out to perfect by a professional, such as Water Solutions Company, has many advantages. The first, it eliminates many problems associated with erosion, mud and dust control, and minimizing the future need to use herbicides. Additionally, there is less risk of failure to install it and a very fast stabilization and no trouble with weeds. Sod also prevents the erosion of topsoil in lawns that have slopes or are hilly. If you have a new property and want to eliminate mud, sod is perfect for that.

Professionals can lay sod at any time of the year because its roots are already developed. The sod is able to establish itself in soil in any part of the seasons, except naturally if the ground is frozen. Sod makes a denser lawn, as the grass are laid close together so there are no bare spots.

If you have an older home that has weak, thin, or just damaged grass, sod is an excellent choice to replace your outdated grass. Sod gives your home a fresh look and adds some definite curb appeal. You can really revamp your entire landscaping by installing some fresh, new sod!

Are There Any Disadvantages?

While there are primarily many advantages of sod, there are also disadvantages. First, the cost. Sod is more expensive than seeding, but it’s usually worth the extra expense and worth it so you won’t have to constantly be watering your land over the course of a few weeks. Additionally, if you purchase sod from a home and garden store, there is a chance that it has been sitting for more than a day, and may not root well.

If you’re in the market for sod and/or the installation of sod, it’s imperative you talk with a professional to help you get the right type for your home’s land. Contact Water Solutions Company, Denver’s go-to landscaping professionals, for help you may need or questions you may have about sod today!

Sprinkler systems are imperative for a thriving, vibrant outdoor area. Whether it’s lush grass or gorgeous plants, a sprinkler system will help your yard stand out amongst the neighborhood. If you have a sprinkler system already, or are thinking about one and how it works, these are the main components of a sprinkler system from your Denver sprinkler experts!

The Zones

You’ve probably heard many sprinkler installation experts refer to zones when planning out your system, but what exactly is a zone? A zone is a portion of the system that is independent and can be turned on and off from the rest of the system. Zones are important for two main reasons: the first being water pressure, because the amount of pressure of water entering your home from your city’s lines affect the amount of water and pressure of water your sprinkler system can apply to your yard. If every zone was to run at the same time, there wouldn’t be enough water or pressure to properly run the system. This is why you’ll often find sprinkler systems watering different parts of a yard at different times.

The second reason that we use zones in sprinkler systems is to vary the amount of water that’s applied to areas of your yard. We want to deliver the right amount of water to the right place at the right time. Zones allow us to adjust the amount of water supplied to different components.

Sprinkler Heads

At Water Solutions, we use rotary heads that are designed for large, open spaces and spray water two to three times as far as a traditional spray head. The stream of water sprays at an arc or a complete circle, whatever is right for your space. Rotary heads will pop up from the ground to water, and then go back into the ground after the watering is complete which prevents damage from people and lawn equipment like mowers.

Timers

Think of timers and controls as the brains of your sprinkler system. Timers can turn the water on and off in varying zones depending on what days you want and what time you set it to. Homeowners can also use timers to control the amount of water applied in each zone of the system. A properly programmed timer ensures that every inch of your yard is never over or under watered, the catch here though is that the homeowner must properly teach themselves on how to fully understand and set up their timer. At Water Solutions, our experts can help you set the timer so it’s what’s best for your yard.

Rain Sensors

Another smart feature to sprinkler systems, rain sensors prevent systems from operating during or following heavy rain and when the ground is saturated and shouldn’t be watered in the near-future. Sensors extend the life of your system by avoiding unnecessary use. Modern day sensors can connect to weather apps so they can detect upcoming storms and stopping the system before a big rain.

Sprinkler systems are more than what meets the eye. The parts and pieces of each system work together creating a fully-functioning machine that will help your yard last for years and years. Questions about your sprinkler system or wanting to get one installed? Contact your Denver sprinkler experts, Water Solutions Company!

At Water Solutions Company, we believe in keeping up with the latest trends in the sprinkler and landscaping industries. So, we seek out the latest technology that will allow you (and the world) easily conserve water and allow our clients to become the most energy efficient. When it comes to sprinkler installation, and a good maintenance of your outdoor space, this is essential to be knowledgeable on!

Rachio Smart Wifi Sprinkler Controls

You’ve probably realized already that our smartphones are taking over the world. Not really, but they do have a part in almost everything that we use throughout our house nowadays - and now, even including our outdoor space. Rachio Smart Wifi Sprinkler Controls are the latest and greatest product on the market for irrigation systems.

Rachio Wifi Timers allow our hardworking team help you manage your system with ease. Yes, the system obviously integrates with your smartphone, but it also has sensors to make sure you system is never over watering - a really big perk. Additionally, Rachio Wifi Timers connect with local weather forecasts and knows when to skip watering when it begins to rain, or in preparation of a big storm.

How Does It Work?

To start, one of our trusty team members will replace your old, traditional controller with a new Rachio Wifi Timer. This usually takes less than 30 minutes. Once that’s installed, the timer will need to be connected to Wifi so you can enjoy the power of Rachio smart watering technology. Next, you’ll download the iOS or Android app so you can set up, monitor, and adjust your sprinkler system from anywhere and anytime you want.

Once you’re all set up, you can add in details about your yard and landscaping, such as plant types, soil type, and sun exposure so you can have fully customized zones of your yard. Rachio will automatically calculate the appropriate watering cycle that’s fit to your yard needs - even down to the right amount of water to minimize runoff.

With Rachio Smart Wifi Sprinkler Timers installed, you’ll be able to pick the watering schedule that fits your budget and lifestyle. If you want higher savings on your water bill, simply select a flexible schedule. If you want more predictability, pick the fixed schedule. There are dozens of scheduling options out there so you can choose exactly what you want for your yard and sprinkler system.

Finally, as we mentioned before, Rachio connects to thousands of local weather stations so it will automatically adjust your watering schedule based on the latest forecast. Now, you’ll be able to avoid watering before, during, or right after rainfall!

Read more about the amazing features that Rachio Smart Wifi Sprinkler Timers offer. Interested in Rachio Timers and have some questions? Get in touch with Water Solutions Company! We are your go-to Denver sprinkler system experts. We offer free estimates for stress-free sprinkler systems in Denver. Contact us today for your free estimate!