Top Ten Trees for North Texas

1. Eastern Red Cedar
2. Crepe Myrtle
3. Bald Cypress
4. Lace Bark Elm
5. Cedar Elm
6. Magnolia
7. Caddo Maple
8. Live Oak
9. Red Oak
10. Chinese Pistachio

Top Ten Things Your Pool Builder Fails to Tell You

1. Sprinkler system should be cut, capped and marked prior to excavation.
   
2. Backfilling of soil should finish at bottom of concrete deck elevation. (4 in. below top of deck).
   
3. Nothing grows well in deck sand (cushion sand). Avoid using as backfill.
   
4. Two sleeves (3x4 in. pipe) should be put between house and pool anywhere that deck will prevent trenching (one for future sprinkler, one for landscape light wire or speaker wire).
   
5. A fill line and overflow line are musts for all pool owners. If your builder won’t install one, we can. (must be done before decks)
   
6. Don’t fill up your yard with decking. Landscaping softens the harsh look of concrete, water and fencing. It provides focal points for the eye, limits noise pollution, and makes a personality statement about you. Decorate your outdoor living space.
   
7. Not much grows in a one foot bed. Don’t fall victim to this common pool builder error. Make sure corner beds are at a minimum 6-8 ft. and small beds a minimum of 2-3 ft.
   
8. You don’t need decking all the way around your pool. Save the decking on one side and use to make larger table or patio area (about 12’x12’).
   
9. The pool equipment area takes up a lot of space (usually 7’x13’ with equipment blind not including plants in front of blind.) Pool companies put equipment in back corners to save them money, robbing you of a desirable focal point in your landscape.
   
10. It’s the landscape that makes the pool beautiful, not the reverse. Your goal is to create a setting, isn’t it? The most beautiful pools are well landscaped, inviting, and visually stimulating. Appealing landscape design is the least expensive way for you to protect your investment.

Note: Our goal in creating this checklist is not to attack your pool company. Some companies do at least a few of the above mentioned items. However, most do not. How can you know what to ask to be done correctly if you do not know?

PLANNING YOUR LANDSCAPE PROJECT

So you have seen the pictures, you have done your research, and you are ready to get started. What do you need to do? First you will need to determine a budget for the entire project. Keep in mind that we can do the project in phases. Your landscape designer will help you understand if your budget is realistic for your desired design. Without a budget the design will not fit your needs. Next decide which look you are going for, themes are important to expressing your own individual style. For example, do you prefer an English garden, Southwest look or Tropical style? Pick out colors and also decide on maintenance--how much time do you want to spend in the garden working? Roses are a beautiful plant but they take a lot of time to maintain. Decide what your time line is, are you ready now or do you need to do more planning? Are you willing to do the job in phases? Understand that for a garden to be Majestic some basic landscape prep-work will have to be done like sprinkler re-routes, gas, electric, and water lines. These items will not be seen but are still important.

WHY ARE TREES AND PLANTS IMPORTANT?

Plants are an indispensable resource and an essential part of your outdoor living space and offer much more than just an aesthetic value to your home.

• Landscaping can add 20% to the value of your home.
• Landscaping costs can be recovered when you sell your home sometimes up to 200%.
• Landscaping can reduce air conditioning cost by up to 40%.
• Landscaping can reduce noise by 50%.
• Plants control water runoff, slowing erosion and allowing water to be absorbed by the soil and the aquifers.
• Trees remove carbon dioxide from the air and produce oxygen. In fact, a single tree releases enough O2 for a family of four for a day.
• One acre of trees can remove 13 tons of dust and gases from the environment each year.
• Plants also provide essential habitat for wildlife and are key to the balance of the entire ecological environment.

WHAT MAJESTIC GARDENS WILL DO FOR YOUR PLANTS

1. Your soil will be tilled and 4” of pro-bedding soil will be added.
   This is to ensure optimum growth and health for your plants. This also aids in proper drainage. When we install your plants sometimes they may be planted a couple of inches above grade--this causes the plant to send roots deeper into ground and create a better root system, lengthening the life of your plants.
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2. Your irrigation system will be updated.
   Usually your system will need some tweaking, when beds are added they require different watering needs than grass. Sometimes zones will need to be added or rearranged. We will use pop-ups when possible so not to detract from the design
   
3. Majestic gardens uses the highest quality plants available.
   Occasionally a plant may suffer from transplant shock. Please call us as soon as the signs of stress appear. Typical signs of stress are leaves dropping off, leaves turning yellow or brown, or leaves curling up. The number one problem we see is over-watering. Most plants can be saved if problems are caught quickly so watch your garden closely for the first few weeks after installation. See watering instructions below.
   
4. Your landscape will be covered with 2” of mulch.
   We use fine hardwood mulch. This serves a few different purposes:
   1. Keeps moisture in the bed for the plants
   2. protects the roots from extreme heat/cold conditions
   3. Helps prevent weeds

WATERING & FEEDING INSTRUCTIONS

You play an important role in keeping your garden beautiful.
Hand water newly planted large shrubs and trees with a slow drip from the hose. This is in addition to watering by your sprinkler system. Follow this plan for 60 days.

What should my irrigation timer be set at?

The number of times a week you water will change as the season changes. When the temperature falls below 50o you only need to water once a month. As the temp. rises between 50o and 80o you will need to water once a week. Then when the temp. is above 80 you will need to water three times a week. The best time to water is 3 o’clock a.m. after the heat has had time to dissipate and before the sun rises.

You want a deep watering so if your yard is sloped you might want to test and make sure there is minimal run off. If there is considerable runoff, water in two cycles at half the time on each cycle. This will give the water time to soak in. Also remember that side yards may not need as much water as the rest of the yard because of shade, caused by the closeness of the houses built today.

Overview:

• Over-watering causes fertilizer to leach from the soil too soon
• Over-watering causes fungus and disease problems
• Water early morning around 3 a.m. in the summer
• If the area doesn’t drain well cut back on the water for that zone
• Water as long as possible before runoff occurs. Sloped yards my need two
• cycles.
• Call us if you have questions
• Majestic Gardens 469-222-3430

Call us if you have questions
Majestic gardens 469-222-3430