How to Talk to a Landscape Contractor #2

“Weed & Feed”

Welcome to our latest post of “How to talk to a landscape contractor” where we let you in on the definitions of common landscape contractor lingo. When we tell a customer that “Weed & Feed” needs to be applied to their lawn, we frequently get the question: “what is weed and feed?”

It is the commonly used name for a product that will kill most broad leaf weeds while simultaneously fertilizing the lawn.

What is Weed and Feed?

Weed and feed is an application process for lawns with dead patches and many weeds. First, check if your lawn has dead patches because of improper sprinkler coverage. You may need to take a look at your irrigation system if this is the case.

Next, your lawn may only have a few patches of weeds. In this case, it might be better to spot treat for weeds. Misusing weed & feed can actually result in more damage to your lawn! You should never apply more than twice a year. Contact your local lawn care professional with any questions you may have! Many lawn care professionals have different chemicals that can accomplish the same results.

How To Weed and Feed

The best time of the year is late spring; however, we will recommend that our customer also apply in the fall. It’s very important that you apply early in the fall. If night time temperatures drop too low, the application won’t work.

Apply weed & feed a couple of days after the last mowing. This way the weeds have a little growth to them which allows the weed killer to attach itself to the weed. The best practice is to water your lawn heavily on the nights before the application.

In the morning after application, apply a light watering. The water also allows the weed killer to attach to the weeds. This is the one step you don’t want to miss.

Next, shut the water down for 2 days. This allows the weed killer to burn up the weeds. After 2 days do another heavy watering. By failing to apply water after 2 days, you run the risk of burning up your grass. The water allows the fertilizer to release into the soil.

Once this process is complete, go back to your normal watering schedule. Within 10 days you’ll see the fertilizer working and all of the weeds should be gone. If there are still some remaining weeds, apply a small a amount of weed & feed on the remaining weeds. There is no need to apply weed & feed to the entire yard again.

Contact a licensed landscape contractor with questions or concerns. Even though many home owners apply weed & feed on their own, it’s important to follow the application process and to check what type of grass you have. Weed & feed will burn up several different types of grass. If this process seems to hard or you’re not a “green thumb” feel free to contact your local gardener.

Should I Weed and Feed during the drought?

In the current California drought, properly weeding and feeding your lawn is a huge luxury. If you are concerned about water usage, you should consider re landscaping with a drought-tolerant landscape. Properly done, a drought tolerant landscape can stand out and look very nice. Many Orange County landscapes are turning to this environmentally friendly alternative.

Or, you can completely avoid the need to weed & feed with the installation of synthetic turf. Our modern synthetic turf looks way better than the AstroTurf of the past, lasts, and helps with water conservation. Summer is a bad time to weed and feed anyway, because of the likelihood your yard will burn. Best to wait it out until the beginning of fall or even late spring.

You have the knowledge of a licensed landscape contractor!

Now, if anyone asks “what does weed and feed mean?” You have a very complete answer for them. They’ll probably think you’re a landscape contractor and hire you on the spot! Okay, maybe that’s a little crazy, but if it does happen, be sure to point them our way.

TRU Landscape Services, your Orange County Landscape Contractor is just a phone call away: 1-866-487-1359

True Landscape Services

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True Landscape Services

The other day a customer was telling me that they couldn’t find our landscape company online. I was surprised because we have a pretty big web presence for a landscape company. It turns out that the customer had been typing in “True Landscape Services” instead of “TRU.” It was an honest mistake, and makes sense because “True” is a word, and “TRU” is not. Instead, it’s simply an acronym for Tobi Robert Ulemek, the name of the business owner.

How do you spell our company’s name? True, or TRU?

Clarifying an Honest Mistake

An honest mistake, but a crucial one. We still want people to be able to find our webpage, so I’m writing this blog. That way we can make sure something exists online to help people find our website even if they add an “e” to our company name. The misspelling makes sense, but it could cause a new customer quite a bit of confusion. There is apparently a “True Landscaping Company” but they’re located in Cleveland… It’d be a little inconvenient for them to work with a client’s landscaping in Orange County California. And vice versa actually. I wonder if anyone ever drops the “e” when searching for their company and finds our Orange County landscaping company instead!

We DO Provide “True Landscape Services”

Despite all that potential confusion, TRU Landscape Services can definitely be called a “True landscape company” for several reasons.

First off, we’re a licensed, bonded, insured, and certified landscape contractor by the California contract licensing board (#894221). That means you, the customer, are protected. It also means our company has the knowledge and experience to do things right the first time!
Our free landscape construction estimates are honest (and true). We competitively price our products and services and will never try to cheat you on cost or quality. Honesty is one of our highest priorities.
Our hardscape construction elements are straight and true too. You’ll be impressed and happy with just how well made those finished elements are.
Lastly, we’re “tried and true.” Living and landscaping in Orange County California for over 25 years, TRU Landscape Services is an experienced local landscape company you can trust.

We don’t like working with dishonest people either! So no matter whether you need us for low voltage lighting or a stamped concrete patio with an outdoor fireplace, we want to be a company you can trust. Why deal with dishonest contractors when you can work with just one “true landscape” company? Woops, I meant “TRU Landscape Services.” Honest mistake…

For an estimate, call 1-866-487-1359

Orange County Concrete Fire Pits

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Orange County Concrete Fire Pits

Need the right addition to your landscape? Consider installing a fire pit. Our Orange County Concrete fire pits provide a focal point for outdoor gatherings. They are built from quality materials, and look great. Read more to see our last concrete fire pit installation.

Earlier this week we finished a North Tustin Landscaping project that transformed our customer’s backyard. In the previous landscape blog we showed some pictures of the completed Orange County Stamped Concrete Patio. In this blog, we’ll be moving into another area of the backyard landscape, the fire pit area.

The patio area surrounding the fire pit is dark stained stamped concrete

Fire Pits Balance Design and Functionality

This rectangular fire pit includes a poured in place concrete cap with stucco siding to match the home. Square and rectangular fire pit designs are becoming popular. We also build traditional round fire pits. Other style options include variations in sidings from veneers to stack stone to stucco. We can also color the fire pit’s concrete cap to match your backyard landscape.

Concrete fire pits should be built by licensed contractors. Why risk your landscape construction on an unlicensed contractor? Our certified landscape crews will safely install the fire pit gas line, and use top quality materials and careful construction practices.

Fire Pits aren’t just beautiful, they’re also practical. For one, the fire pit’s poured-in-place concrete cap can be used as a as a table. And of course, a built-in gas fire pit will provide warmth and light to any outdoor gathering. Warmth and light.

Fireglass is one option for your fire pit’s filling.

Fire Pit Fillings: from sand to fireglass

Many new fire pit owners chose unique fillings for their fire pits. We supply everything from lava rock or sand to our custom American Fire glass. It all depends on what your landscape design needs.

As you can see, tumbled fire glass can be chosen to match any color scheme of furniture or otherwise, so it is often a good option for homeowners with an existing color pallet. In this way, each element of your landscape will work in harmony. Using different construction techniques, fillings, and surrounding patio materials, Fire pits can be constructed to match any shape, style, or color of landscape.

Concrete Fire Pit Installation

Outdoor Living with Fire Pits

There are many benefits to using built in fire pits. Fire is striking!

Few other landscape elements will have as much impact (especially at night) as a fire element.
Concrete fire pits are also very low maintenance (especially when properly constructed). They start with ease and eliminate the need to gather and throw additional wood onto the fire.
Your neighbors probably don’t have one. You’ll easily be able to one up the Joneses with a sick new pit. They’ll be jealous and probably move away out of sheer envy.

The Difference of a Landscape Remodel

So the finished area looks pretty nice, right? It’s a completely useable space with matching outdoor furniture, some expertly finished stamped concrete, and of course the styled Orange County concrete fire pit. It’d be easy to step out your back door, put your feet up, and relax. But only a few weeks before these pictures were taken, the backyard landscape was a mess!

Before TRU Landscape Services arrived, the backyard was a messy dusty garden with scattered dry planter beds. The whole yard was a slope, and was difficult to navigate if you were walking through it. Tree stumps and struggling old plants made it look depressing. Mounds of dry dirt were lumped along the corners of the rotting planter beds. After demolition, leveling and grading the yard, we built the fire pit form. With that in place, our crews finished the stamped concrete patio and the fire element. The finished outdoor living area looks totally new!

What used to be a completely unusable space was transformed into a totally unique and inviting patio area. If you’re ready to do the same for your backyard landscape, call TRU Landscape today and ask about the option of installing your own Orange County Concrete Fire Pit!

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For even more information on this backyard landscape project, see our page on the topic: Orange County Concrete Landscaping

Orange County Stamped Concrete Patio

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Orange County Stamped Concrete Patio

Here’s a sneak peak at our latest landscape project. Today we will be featuring this Orange County Stamped Concrete Patio:

An overview of the stamped concrete patio

Stay tuned for our next blog post which will show the complete landscape remodel with proper before and after pictures. Until then, check out these overviews of the stamped concrete patio and its features! Just imagine what this backyard would have been like without the patio.

Stamped Concrete Orange County Patio Area

Sitting underneath the patio cover, you can enjoy the view and keep cool in the shade!

The remodel has created an excellent outdoor living area perfect for family and friends. The area is connected directly to the house, so it’s as seamless going outdoors as moving from room to room. What a relaxing area!

Orange County Stamped Concrete Patio

Leading down from the Orange County Stamped Concrete Patio are wide rounded steps. The width of the steps make the patio area so much more accessible than it used to be. The raised area used to only have a small step path leading up to it. Now the entire area is opened up!

Wide rounded concrete steps mimic the curve of the pool

The stamped concrete gives a unique character to the space that you can’t get with ordinary unfinished concrete. It is also sturdier and safer to have around the pool. When it comes to Orange County Concrete for your landscape, we’re the only company you’ll need to call. Our company can take you from the landscape design, through demolition, to a finished product all under one roof!

Custom Wood Patio Covers

This patio cover was built as a “tie-in” to the house’s existing roof. It matches the current roof perfectly and is tied into the house on 3 sides which adds a 580 sq ft of indoor / outdoor area! here’s a look under the patio cover at the space. It’s the perfect relaxing outdoor kitchen and dining area.

Stamped Concrete Patio Orange County landscape

A look underneath the patio cover at the barbecue island and dining area

Are you ready to get a free estimate on your very own Stamped Concrete Patio installation? Or are you considering some other landscape surfacing for paths, driveways, or decks such as flagstone or interlocking pavers? TRU Landscape has you covered. Just call today and we’ll get you started on your way to the backyard of your dreams!

1-866-487-1359

Orange County Landscape Weekly Recap

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Weekly Recap

July 6th-12th, 2014

Summer is always a busy time of year for our landscape company. That’s why we’re making a series of weekly recaps of our landscaping services in Orange County throughout the summer. Our past several jobs have provided a full workout for our landscape crews. They’ve been really busy doing everything from pouring concrete for a patio area to full sprinkler system and lawn installations.

Sprinkler System Installation

Newport Beach Landscaping Company

The first job we finished this week was in Newport Beach. In the front yard we installed sprinklers, grass, and interlocking pavers. The client’s lawn was previously dying and taken over by weeds. We were able to completely overhaul their sprinkler system with a more efficient ET Satellite Timer system. This will save them on their water bill, and also ensure proper watering coverage for their entire lawn.

In the backyard we installed a popular installation when Landscaping in Newport Beach:

The beginning of the Patio Cover installation

Finishing the Patio Cover Frame

This patio cover will provide shade for the concrete patio area while sitting outside. It will also keep the temperature of the house down as the sun sets by keeping sun from entering the western windows. Sounds pretty cool, eh?

Yorba Linda Landscaping Company

For our next finished project, our customer was looking for a Yorba Linda Landscaping Company who could do it all. They needed LED landscape lighting, some sprinkler system fixes, as well as a backyard concrete patio area.

Pouring the patio base in Yorba Linda

Concrete Patio Construction

Drying brick and Concrete Patio before Patio Cover is installed

The process was worry free from start to finish. After we’d given an estimate and detailed bid to the customer, they were confident that TRU Landscape was the right company for them. The total walkway only took a few days including demolition and finishing! Now they have a completely new backyard. All they had to do was call.

Orange County Landscape Maintenance

Apart from these two main jobs, we finished a number of smaller lawn maintenance jobs. Our residential and commercial landscape maintenance division maintain companies and homes on a daily basis. Despite the regular day to day work, we also began a new job by removing a concrete patio area. This client was looking for a Mission Viejo Landscaping company to give them a full backyard landscape remodel. This should turn out to be a beautiful finished product, and it should be completed soon! We are excited to see how it turns out, and post the results here on our landscape blog.

Concrete removal for a backyard patio remodel

Stay posted for more information on your first choice in Orange County Landscape: TRU Landscape Services.
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Modern Backyard Remodel

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Modern Backyard Remodel

A modern backyard for the modern home. Perhaps you have a small backyard and are bored with the space. Chances are, you have more options for landscape renovation than you realize! In this small backyard, our company was able to reclaim the entire backyard landscape for barbecues, playtime, picnics, and fireside stories! All it took was a little planning, some elbow grease, and one Orange County landscape company.

Modern Backyard Remodel Fire Pit Are you lost in a Suburban sea? Are you tired of your backyard looking exactly like your neighbors? Tract homes may begin devoid of personality, but there’s plenty of room to personalize your outdoor space, however small.

In this case, the homeowners were already thinking big when they contacted us about installing a fire pit and outdoor living area. It turned out they were ready to take charge of the rest of their yard too! Cheap synthetic turf had been installed throughout. This low quality Chinese turf only looked good for a short period. It was time for that scraggly fake grass to go! Time to start over.

TRU Landscape Services renovated three areas of this Costa Mesa Landscaping project. Stay tuned to see before and after pictures of the side yard, backyard, and outdoor living area.

Interlocking Pavers Walkway

If you own a home with a small yard, you’re probably familiar with this problem area: the walkway “side yard.” The “side yard” is actually just wide enough for a walk way. The space can easily become cluttered or muddy if you don’t have the proper walkway installed.

Before Interlocking Pavers Installation To replace the unattractive concrete blocks that were in place, our customer chose interlocking pavers. We used a herringbone pattern with dark grey “blueish” paving stones. As you can see, the interlocking pavers compliment the overall modern feel with cooler colors.

Interlocking Pavers Walkway in Orange County The pavers walkway extends to the front yard and now eliminates the chance for tracking mud and dirt. A much cleaner, more pleasant experience overall.

American Synthetic Turf Installation

Like we mentioned earlier, the back yard had aging Chinese synthetic turf installed. We built the planter wall that you see in the background when the customer decided to have their synthetic turf replaced. As you can see, it was worse for wear…

Artificial Turf removal and Synthetic grass replacement

Look at the difference! Whenever possible, TRU Landscape Services uses only products made in the USA. Don’t let a fast talking company take advantage of you by convincing you to install cheap alternatives. When it comes to installations like turf and paving stones that receive high traffic, you will want to use materials that last. Try us today for Synthetic Turf installations.

Synthtic-Turf-Backyard

Modern Outdoor Living Area

Here comes the main focal point of the modern backyard remodel: the fire pit and bench area. As you can see, the space looks pretty small to begin with. When we arrived there was a relatively unusable patch of gravel with some plants in the corners. Our customer tasked us with building custom planters, benches, and a fire pit. As you can see in this picture, we sprayed out the location of the installation with paint to help the customer visualize the finished Orange County landscape before beginning. It’s cool to start with a blank canvas.

Before Paver Side Yard Renovation

Here’s the finished product! Take it all in for a second. Although we installed a lot of new hardscape into this area, it actually has the effect of opening the area up. By making the space more useable, the homeowner actually “increased” their backyard space. In effect, installing a new patio area extended their backyard!

Back Area Landscape Note how the reed plants, planter walls, and tree add vertical height to the space, also making it feel less cluttered. Our customer was very happy with the benches that we built into the stucco planter walls. Custom wood benches are definitely a great feature to consider in your home remodel.

If you’re ready to transform your backyard space of whatever size, call TRU Landscape Services, your trusted Orange County Landscaper.

Just call us today for a free estimate on any fixture from fire pits to synthetic turf, to pavers and so much more!

1-866-487-1359

Concrete Entryway Remodel & Landscape Lighting

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Concrete Entryway Remodel

We recently completed this front yard landscape remodel in Orange County California. Stick around till the end for a cool video of the finished landscape project!

Concrete Entryway Orange County
The landscape was transformed from unappealing and unfinished to inviting and complete with the addition of a concrete entryway. All it took was a little elbow grease, concrete, landscape lighting, sod and plants. But, it all started with a palm tree removal.

We were called out to a landscape in Westminster for a tree job. When our salesman arrived at the customer’s house, the customer told him that the palm tree could be dropped across the yard. Why? Because they were planning on installing a new front yard landscape.

Before and After Pictures

The customer told us that they had their backyard landscaped 6 months back. They wanted to hire the same contractor, but he was not returning our customer’s phone calls. Luckily, TRU Landscape Services is much more than a tree service! Our salesman explained to the customer that we perform all of that work they needed to complete the project. The customer requested an estimate for the entire front yard landscape remodel. A few days later, the customer called us back and hired us.

On day one, we removed the Palm trees and the grass from the front yard. On this project we had to change the grade of the front yards to flow away from the house and the new installations. Concrete Walkway Orange County

Concrete Walkway and Planter Walls

As an Orange County concrete contractor, we were well prepared for the scope of installations on this remodel. To begin with, the customer had an idea of the design for the front yard, but was open for suggestions. The purpose of re-landscaping the front yard was to add curb appeal, accent the already beautiful home, and provide a more inviting entryway. To achieve this, we built a concrete walkway, stucco planter walls, bullnose concrete steps, and a ceramic tile front porch.

Low Voltage Landscape Lighting Orange County

Our design for the concrete walkway includes concrete bull nose steps as you can see in the picture. It also incorporates path landscape lighting into the steps themselves. The customer really liked the idea of the walkway being surrounded by a planter wall. We installed a block wall with a concrete cap on top of the wall. We applied stucco to the side of planter walls for a finished look. To finish the entryway experience, we installed a custom tile on the front porch. Our customer really liked the wood grain ceramic tile. And with that, from sidewalk to porch, the entryway was complete.

Ceramic Tile Porch

Landscape Lighting Orange County

After completing the concrete work we moved onto installing the softscape, plants and lighting.

On this project, we meet the customer at the nursery to go over the plants. After meeting, we had a clear idea of the trees and plants that the customer wanted. Once the plants were set in place, the crew planted soil amendments and fertilizer tabs. That’s how you start things off right! These fertilizer tablets last up to 3 years giving the plant all of the proper nutrients to grow big and healthy.

Landscape Lighting Orange County

After our crews were done planting, we installed LED low voltage lights. LED landscape lighting was placed in key positions throughout the planters. We haven’t taken any night pictures of the property, but it looks great in the dark!

To display all of the trees, we also installed “up lights”. Path landscape lighting completed the picture. We installed LED step lights on the walkway steps to provide visibility at night. This low voltage landscape lighting installation showcases the concrete work and plants. Now, whether day or night, our customer can enjoy their property to the full!

You can see the completed front yard landscape remodel in this video:

If you’re looking for an Orange County front yard landscape remodel, call us today for a free estimate. Just dial 1-866-487-1359 to reach us during the day. Feel free to leave a phone message or send an email if you are outside of service hours: info@trulandscape.com

test sampe

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Santa Ana Natural Gas Fuel Station Grand Opening

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Natural Gas Fueling Station Opens

Today TRU Landscape Services was at the grand opening of the Timco CNG fuel station. The new natural gas fueling station is located in Santa Ana off of E First Street. It opened today, Earth Day 2014. Natural gas is a clean energy fuel alternative to gasoline. It also has other benefits like low price. We are proud to have served the community by doing the landscaping and irrigation for this new natural gas station.

What a price! Natural Gas is inexpensive.

CNG Price Per Gallon

The new compressed natural gas station is getting a lot of looks from passersby. A gallon of natural gas is only $1.49 as of April 22, 2014! This is obviously a big selling point for CNG vehicles. This Orange County station provides a convenient CNG fueling stop for those traveling between San Diego and Los Angeles.

CNG Fuel Station Santa Ana

Santa Ana CNG Station

During the grand opening, there were vehicles fueling up at the station including many Yellow Cabs which are set up to run on Compressed Natural Gas (CNG). There were also vehicles from several manufacturers that can run on this alternate fuel source. This is the first Compressed Natural Gas Fueling Station that is open to the public in Santa Ana. The company, Timco CNG, is will be opening other public-access fueling stations in the future.

CNG Grand Opening

And just in case you’re looking to fuel up, the address for the Santa Ana CNG station is 1601 E 1^st Street, Santa Ana, CA 92701.

First Street Natural Gas Station

TRU Landscape is glad to have been a part of making this big day special. To learn more about TRU Landscape Services and what we can do for your commercial property, call us today at 1-866-487-1359. All of our estimates are quick and free of cost.

In the meantime, we also welcome you to watch our latest video below about some of our other Orange County landscape services including concrete patios and decks, interlocking pavers, landscape LED Lighting, and sprinkler systems.

More Information on CNG

Interlocking Pavers & Landscape Grades

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Interlocking Pavers & Landscape Grades

There’s a lot that goes on before a landscape job. To read the story behind this Irvine Landscaping project, check out our blog “Choosing the Right Licensed Landscape Contractor.” In summary, TRU Landscape was hired because our company is licensed and can complete an entire landscape job under one roof.

Pavers Entryway Before and After

Orange County Interlocking Pavers

The primary part of the Irvine Hardscape installation was a patio of interlocking pavers. The job itself entailed a lot of work although the yard itself was on the small side. In preparation, we removed 8 inches of dirt from the whole yard to set the grade. The dirt removed amounted to several tons! While we were removing the dirt, our team dug out the patio cover footings. We also installed drains to receive water coming off of the grade. Setting Landscape Grade During the inspection, the Orange County landscape inspector noticed that we had our grades set up so that all of the water would run away from the house into the drains. He told us we were doing a professional job! It’s always nice to get a complement from a city inspector.

What is a landscape grade?

A landscape grade is set up to keep the water flowing away from your house. In the case of installing interlocking pavers, we make sure that all of the pavers slope away from the house to the drains. Over 25 years in the landscape industry, we have seen a lot of grades that drain into the house! The city inspector has most likely seen many of these improperly graded landscapes as well. Water sitting on pavers is a slipping hazard and may cause water damage over time. Also once the water is sitting against your house, it can cause moisture issues and even destroy the stucco. Most of the time this happens because the contractor doesn’t want to haul away all of the dirt to get the grade of the dirt down low enough or they don’t use a transit.

What is a transit?

It’s a spyglass-like tool that is used to measure grades. For our projects we use a laser transit to ensure an accurate measurement. This is crucial when pouring concrete patios, decks or interlocking pavers. If it’s possible, we always install a drain system and have all the water run to the drains. Keeping water off of your backyard patio and away from your house will ensure the longevity of your landscape! That’s exactly what TRU Landscape Services is all about. We are confident that our experience and attention to detail will produce a long lasting and beautiful landscape for your home. Pavers Installation To learn more about other Irvine Landscaping Projects or to contact us for a free estimate, call us now at 1-866-487-1359 or send us an email info@trulandscape.com

If you’d like to read more blogs like this one, check out our Orange County Landscape Contractor news feed.