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Gary's Tips

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: April 26, 2008

Gary Alan, creator of HGTV's "Landscaper's Challenge" show, visited an outdoor expo in Valrico on April 19 and offered homeowners tips on whipping their outdoor landscapes into shape. Here's some of his advice:

Make A Plan

Contrary to popular belief, it isn't necessary to have a plan on paper to landscape your yard. However, if you would like to draft a landscape project, take a site plan of your property to a copy center and have it blown up to a size that's easy to work with.

Mark Bed Layouts

Marking bed layouts on your lawn is easy. If you don't have a paint gun, use a garden hose to create shapes for layouts. This will help you decide where to carve out planting beds before removing sod.

Stretch Before You Sow

Just as an athlete stretches before a workout, gardeners must stretch before getting to work. Loose muscles perform better and are less prone to injury and strain. Keep your back as straight as possible, lift with the power of your legs and take breaks as needed.

Remove Sod

The best way to remove sod is with a cutting machine. Rotary tillers require more work and produce more waste by churning up grass and burying it as deep as 3 inches, creating a mass of trashy soil that must be raked up and hauled away. Sod cutters can be found at most rental centers and require less effort because they remove grass neatly.

Select Plants

New plants were watered at the nursery every day and must be watered immediately after planting. They will need 30 to 60 days to become established in the garden. Water them every day for the first 10 days, every other day the following week, every third day the next week and less as time passes.

Source: www.garyalan.com

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