Irvine Landscaping Company

Choosing the Right Licensed Landscape Contractor

(part one of a two part post about an Irvine Landscaping project)

Sometimes you need to hire a professional landscape company. For our latest project in Irvine, the customer needed a bonded and licensed landscape contractor to follow the plans authorized by their Home Owner’s Association. Irvine is a quickly growing, master-planned community, so many of our jobs in Irvine are for new home owners and require the consent of an HOA. We met our customer a few months back when they first moved into their home. They already had a plan for the Irvine landscaping submitted to the HOA and were waiting to get approval before starting the work.

One Irvine Landscaping Company for One Landscape

Once they were approved, we gave them an estimate and were hired for the job because we could complete the entire job under one roof. The customer wanted a backyard patio area surfaced with interlocking pavers and a fresh landscape with a new sprinkler system. They took estimates from a couple of companies, but most of these other landscape companies only did hardscape or just softscape. This was a major problem for our customer because both were required for this project. They have moved several times in the last 10 years and have played the contractor game before.

One major problem with this “game” of hiring multiple contractors for one landscape is that projects take longer to complete and companies get in each others’ way. Oftentimes a project will sit unfinished because one contractor has to wait on another to complete his or her portion of the work. What a headache! This is why our customer wanted one landscaping company to install all of their outdoor elements. Do I need a Licensed Landscape Contractor? Another company that the customer really liked didn’t have a license or insurance. We were told that many of the new home owners hired this contractor for their large projects. In fact, this other company is a fairly popular Irvine landscaping contractor in that area. This raises some questions.

Do you need a contractor’s license to landscape someone’s house?

The answer is YES. Any project over $600.00 requires a license in the State of California. Most hardscape jobs are over this minimum limit. The next question is: What are the downsides to hiring an unlicensed contractor? Without insurance or a bond, there is nothing to protect the customer from faulty work. An unlicensed landscape contractor can walk away with your money even if they install something like a gas line the wrong way and cause serious damage to your property! Because of this, for all larger jobs it is best to hire a licensed landscape contractor like TRU Landscape Services (our license number is C-27 894221). 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

Click to read about the rest of this Irvine Landscaping project.

Commercial Concrete Repair

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Tree Removal becomes Concrete Repair

Our latest commercial landscape job turned out to be more than just a tree removal. Luckily, TRU Landscape Services is also a premiere Orange County concrete repair and construction company. We were able to complete the job in a day, and our customer didn’t have to call in separate independent contractors.

The story begins when TRU Landscape was called out to Anaheim California for a estimate to remove a tree. During the estimate, our salesman realized that the tree removal was actually a curb removal and replacement too.

The project came about because someone planted a Eucalyptus tree in a small planter. The tree soon grew too big for the planter, raised up the curb and gutter, and damaged the parking lot. This raised up curb created a tripping hazard.

Orange County Concrete

Our tree crew removed the eucalyptus tree and our concrete team began removing the curb and gutter. First, the landscape concrete crew saw-cut the surrounding concrete from the parking lot. This provides separation between the concrete and the asphalt so that when our bobcat removes the concrete we don’t damage the parking lot.

After removing the concrete curb, we brought in our stump grinder and we removed the stump. All of the materials that we remove are recycled in Orange County, including concrete.

Once all of the debris were removed, our crew started setting up the forms to hold the concrete in place for the curb and gutter. When the crew began installing the forms, the foreman called up the concrete truck to bring in the concrete. Efficiency is very important to us, so we always have one portion of construction ready right after the other. After installing the concrete and letting it set up, we pulled the forms off of the finished concrete. This is the important part of the job to make sure the whole project turns out looking smooth and professional. The icing on the cake.

This entire job was finished in a day! Had we just been a tree removal company, our customer would have had to hire out separate concrete contractors for the rest of the job. Instead, we were able to solve their problem in a timely manner.

Anaheim Concrete Repair

TRU Landscape Services takes pride in providing all of your outdoor elements. Why hire several companies and have the hassle of scheduling all of the contractors around each other. We provided this customer several different services in just one day. A project like this would normally take up to 2 weeks to complete. After completing the project, our customer called us up and told us how happy they were because the parking lot was only closed for a short period.

See why everybody is hiring TRU Landscape Services to provide all of their outdoor needs. If you’re looking for a quick fix for your commercial landscape, don’t hesitate to call TRU Landscape today 1-866-487-1359 or CLICK HERE to be taken to our “quick quote” form.

5 Spring Landscaping Tips

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5 Spring Landscaping Tips

by Tobi Ulemek

It’s spring time in Orange County California! Here are five spring landscaping tips that will make your Orange County landscape bloom and grow to its full potential.

As we all know, weather is a huge part of what makes the OC a great place to grow different varieties of plants, flowers, and trees. Orange County’s plant hardiness zones range from 9b to 10b (a temperate Mediterranean climate that rarely freezes). Because of this, our weather permits us to plant new landscapes year round. Still, springtime is definitely a great season to spruce up the yard. Here’re some tips to help you groom your Orange County landscape that are sure to last year long.

1. Check your sprinkler system

Water is what makes the flowers grow! Most areas of the USA have to shut their sprinkler systems down during the winter, but here in Orange County we need to leave our sprinklers running for most of the year. With sprinkler systems, it’s all about coverage and setting a good watering schedule. To make sure each sprinkler head is covering the proper area, turn on each sprinkler station using the timer and inspect the spray from each sprinkler. The stream from each sprinkler head should be spraying onto the next head for “head to head coverage.” Proper sprinkler coverage will help you save water in the long run and keep your landscape nice and green.

2. Apply a “weed and feed” to your lawn

We always recommend that our customers treat their lawns 2 times a year with fertilizer and weed control. The first time in the spring and the second time in the fall. By following this pattern, we’ve found the lawns we maintain to be weed free and green year-round. To eliminate or help control weeds during the summer, it is important to apply different chemicals during the spring. Mild spring days allow the chemicals to work on killing the weeds in your lawn without stressing out your grass. That way the weeds will be kept at bay and your grass will stay green and alive! Fertilizing your landscapes in the spring time will also help the landscapes to grow strong for the hot summer. Fertilizer is the “feed” part of “weed and feed.”

3. Add more plants in the spring time

We get hundreds of calls from people who haven’t planted any new shrubs in their yards for several years and now they don’t like the appearance of the landscape. If you hire a good landscape company, they should be able to keep your plants nice and healthy year round. Finding that good landscape company can be the problem. If you have been using a less expensive “mow & blow” landscaper, you may need to bring in a company who has a relationship with the nurseries and can tune up your yard on a monthly or quarterly basis.

4. Plant more annuals during the spring time

Orange County has great flowers all year around, but spring time flowers are our favorite. To pick the right annuals for your yard, shop around and find those flowers that are just starting to bloom. So many times we see people buy the flowers that are already blooming. They soon realize that these flowers don’t last the longest. Flowers that are just starting to bloom have more time to get their roots established when planted. They will always last longer. Also, when you are planting your flowers, find a fertilizer that will help your annual flowers last for months.

5. Mulch it!

Now that you have your sprinklers working and your new plants installed, it’s time to mulch everything down. Mulch not only helps control the weeds, but it also helps hold the moisture in the ground. When mulch breaks down, it also adds nutrients to the soil and the plants love this! Install a good layer of mulch on all of your planter beds 2 times a year and you’ll help your plants be healthy and save water at the same time. If you have a small yard, you can use mulch from a bag. If you have a medium to large yard, ask your landscaper where you can by mulch by the quantity. Most of these landscape suppliers will deliver a few yards to your driveway for a fair price.

6. One last thing…

Our final springtime landscaping tip is to enjoy your yard! If you’ve followed our easy steps, it’s probably looking pretty great right now!

And remember, TRU Landscape Services is on your side. If you have any questions about your landscape, please feel free and call our friendly staff. If it’s a question we can’t answer over the phone, we will be glad to come and give you a free estimate to help fix your problem.

We don’t just do sprinkler systems and gardens! Check out our Orange County landscape construction page for more information on our custom concrete installations and more. TRU Landscape Services; with over 25 years of experience in the landscape industry you know we’ll take good care of you and your lawn!

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

or, for more information, here’re some other Spring Landscaping Tips from experts in the field:

Spring Landscaping Tips from David Beaulieu
Spring Landscaping Tips from Ronique Gibson

Garden Grove Landscaping

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Garden Grove Landscaping

Pavers and Irrigation

A Paver Makeover in Garden Grove

This Garden Grove Landscaping project transformed the customer’s backyard into the perfect place to relax and unwind. We were happy to take an unusable and unattractive space and turn it into a yard the homeowners can truly enjoy.

Taking advantage of their more spacious Garden Grove yard, the customer came up with their own general design for the plot. Using the pictures on our website, they decided on a full backyard remodel including a fresh new lawn, a new irrigation system, and a full patio area of interlocking pavers. When we arrived for demolition, the backyard was full of dirt and weeds with a cracked grey concrete patio area surrounding the home.

That day, we demoed the entire back yard using the Bobcat’s breaker to remove the cracked concrete. Our team also had to remove 8″ of dirt from half of the back yard and another 4″ from the other half of the back yard. Altogether we removed (literal) tons of dirt in order to prepare for the sod and paver installation.

Orange County Interlocking Pavers

On the next day we started to replace the dirt with road base. For the right compaction, we install Road Base in small layers. This process takes a couple of days because it is so crucial to ensure proper compaction so that the pavers, once set, do not sink, move, or shift. For each layer, our tractor brings in the road base as our crew levels it out and then we compact the base.

After the road base is brought up to a proper level, we install a 1″ level of sand. The sand allows the crew install the pavers nice and level, and prevents damage from temperature change and other elements. After all of the pavers are installed, we lay a layer of polymeric sand on top of the pavers. Brooming this sand into the joints and then adding a little water creates a solid joint in between the pavers. After completing the interlocking pavers, we moved on to the sprinkler system and “softscape.”

Compacting the Road Base

Orange County Landscape Irrigation

Garden Grove landscapes, like the rest of orange County, are going through a major drought! That’s why it is so important to have an updated sprinkler system to keep your lawn green and save water. For this home, we installed an automatic sprinkler system in the back yard. On the grass area, we used Rain Bird 1800 series 4″ sprinklers. These are fixed heads that will consistently provide great coverage.

In the planters, we installed a drip line. The drip line we prefer to use has emitters built into it every 12 inches and can cut the water bill down by 50% compared to a convention sprinkler. In fact we try and use nothing but drip lines in our planters. We installed these drip lines with filters and pressure regulators to ensure water savings and even watering.

To complete the project, we installed the new sod, and there it was, a brand new backyard. We met with the customer to answer any questions they might have. Because they were so happy with our work, the customer referred us to their neighbor as well!

Ready to have your yard done? Click below to be taken to our

Contact Page

How to talk to a Landscape Contractor: “Demo”

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Here’s the first in a series of landscaping definitions. Sometimes a landscaper who’s worked in the industry for years will drop confusing jargon pertaining to the specifics of landscaping. Here we want to help clarify some of that terminology over the course of a few new blog entries.

Landscape Demolition

What does “Demo” mean?

Our word for today is “Demo.” This is a shortening of the word “demolition” and can range from pulling out pre-existing plants and turf, to an extensive excavation to prepare for a landscape remodel.

Some “demos” are delicate and require manual removal, whereas concrete removal requires the use of tractors and tools like jackhammers.

Basic Demo usually only takes a day once the plans have been finalized and the property is ready. More intense demo projects can take more than one day, but it’s always easier to tear things apart than build them up!

Next time you need some landscape demolition, remember TRU Landscape Services the only name you need to know in Orange County Landscape.

Orange County City Seals and Logos

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We made some images of each Orange County City’s seal or logo for our site, and wanted to share them here for anyone interested. We used the map of Orange County as a backdrop for each city name and city seal. There are pages for just about every city or area. If you notice that your Orange County City seal is missing, feel free to tell us in a comment. All of these images are composed from the official OC city logos found on wikipedia etc.

Hope these’ll be useful to someone!

Anaheim Landscaping CompanySanta Ana Landscaping Westminster LandscapingFullerton LandscapingIrvine LandscapingOrange LandscapingOrange County Landscape Orange County Landscape

Rossmoor LandscapingLake Forest Landscaping

Orange County Landscape

Seal Beach Landscaping

Orange County Landscape

Placentia LandscapingMission Viejo LandscapingGarden Grove Landscaping Laguna Niguel LandscapingTustin Landscaping Laguna Hills Landscaping Laguna Beach LandscapingSan Clemente LandscapingOrange County Landscape La Habra LandscapingSan Juan Capistrano 1 Fountain Valley Landscaping Cypress Landscaping | Orange County Landscape Buena Park Landscaping

landscaping in Aliso Viejo

Yorba Linda Landscaping Villa Park Landscaping Foothill Ranch LandscapingSunset Beach Landscaping North Tustin Landscaping

All of Orange County’s seals/logos in one place. These images might be helpful for school projects studying state or county history? Perhaps they might be helpful to use on sites related to these cities?

If you found this site from one of these images:

We’re TRU Landscape Services, a full service landscape construction and maintenance company serving all of Orange County. Landscape construction includes but is not limited to: Backyard Patio areas, custom concrete driveways, decks, pathways and patios. We also frequently build barbecue islands for outdoor kitchens, patio covers, all types of landscaping walls.

Our services don’t stop there. TRU Landscape is also a trusted source for outdoor landscape lighting (specifically LED landscape lighting), and synthetic turf. Need a greener lawn? TRU Landscape Services installs state of the art irrigation systems with satellite timers! Call 1-866-487-1359 for a free estimate or email us at info@trulandscape.com.

Retaining A Slope

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Retaining a Slope

TRU Landscape Services just completed a landscape project in Dana Point. The project consisted of installing retaining walls on the slope and landscaping the slope after the walls were finished. On day one: we removed all of the railroad ties and plants that were growing on the slope. After removing the debris we started digging the footings for the walls and installed the drain pipes. When were installing a landscape slope project we keep our eyes on the weather, last thing we want to happen is for a large rain fall to hit the slope.

Orange County Retaining Wall

On day two: our Hardscape crew started with installing the rebar and concrete in the footings. After giving the concrete some time to start hardening we installed the first course of block. We finished all of the retaining walls on the second day. On day three: we poured concrete inside of the walls. With all of the blocks filled with concrete we started forming the cap for the top of the walls. The customer chose to have a poured in place concrete cap. After finishing the cap we moved onto the landscaping of the slope.

Landscaping a Slope

TRU Landscape Services has been installing slopes in Orange County for over 25 years. When it comes to landscaping slopes in Orange County hire a professional landscape company that has proven themselves. First part of landscaping this slope we installed the new plants. This part of the project we spend time with our customer to choose the right plants. We not only install plants that the customer likes but we install plants that will last over time. Once the plants are installed we install the drip line. We prefer to install drip lines on small slopes. The drip line went in smoothly and we topped off the slope with a layer of mulch. The customer was very happy to have a new landscaped slope.

Landscape Company

TRU Landscape Services has been performing landscape services throughout Orange County, California for the last 25 years. We offer competitive landscape contracting services including general landscape construction, hardscape construction, water features, ponds, Putting Greens, we also offer Low Voltage Lighting, Synthetic Turf, Fire Pits, plus many other services.

Please call TRU Landscape Services toll free at : 1- 866-487-1359

Retaining a Slope

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Before

Orange County Retaining Wall

Upper slope

Landscaping a Slope
TRU Landscape Services has been installing slopes in Orange County for over 25 years. When it comes to landscaping slopes in Orange County hire a professional landscape company that has proven themselves. First part of landscaping this slope we installed the new plants. This part of the project we spend time with our customer to choose the right plants. We not only install plants that the customer likes but we install plants that will last over time. Once the plants are installed we install the drip line. We prefer to install drip lines on small slopes. The drip line went in smoothly and we topped off the slope with a layer of mulch. The customer was very happy to have a new landscaped slope.

Finished

Landscape Company
TRU Landscape Services has been performing landscape services throughout Orange County, California for the last 25 years. We offer competitive landscape contracting services including general landscape construction, hardscape construction, water features, ponds, Putting Greens, we also offer Low Voltage Lighting, Synthetic Turf, Fire Pits, plus many other services.

Please call TRU Landscape Services toll free at : 1- 866-487-1359

Fixing a Drain Disaster!

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Orange County Landscape

TRU Landscape Services just completed a project in Rancho Santa Margarita. This project consists of removing two large Queen Palms and repairing 2 drain lines. The Palm trees were growing right on top of the drain pipes on both sides of the house. The previous contractor used cheap pipes that let all of the water drain out at the joints. When the joints start leaking water into the soil the tree roots began growing inside of the drain pipe. Our customer had the grass remove from her back yard by another contractor. This same contractor installed new concrete in the back yard and the concrete looked very nice. The only problem was he used the old drains that were already clogged with trees roots. Then he installed a new drain pipe under the ground and stopped it right by the palm trees, so the drains worked for a couple of years and then the roots clogged the new pipe. It’s a drain disaster! What to do? Time for some Tree Removal!

Landscape drains

After removing the 2 Palm trees we started on the drain lines. Now normally we would just give a estimate to install all new drain lines, but in this case our customer had told us the story about the other contractor that installed the new landscape drains and so we thought we could make the repairs to the drain pipes without tearing up the whole back yard. We were right on one side of the house; we removed a small portion of concrete that allowed us to remove a large root system. Once that large root system was removed the water started flowing to the street. Our crew patched the concrete and we moved onto the other side. We knew this side was going to cause us problems so we cut holes in the back yard concrete and after a long struggle we were able to clear all of the drains. We installed a new outdoor drain pipe and patched the concrete. The new landscape drain pipe has glued together joints. The joints being glued together will help keep the water from escaping the pipe. Which will help keep the roots out of the pipe. TRU Landscape Services has been installing landscape drains for over 25 years in Orange County.

Orange County Landscape Company

Orange County landscapers you can trust!

Holiday Landscaping Deals

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Get your home ready for the new year with an exciting TRU-Built landscape.

Looking for a new porch or patio, driveway or pool deck? Want to warm your toes by a quality outdoor fireplace or fire pit? Time to redo the lawn? Now is the time to call TRU Landscape Services, the simple solution to your Orange County landscape needs.

Holiday Landscaping Discount

Celebrate the Holidays by renovating your landscape! Set up an estimate before January 5th 2014 and mention this add for a 15% discount off of any Orange County landscape work.

As a C-27 California licensed contractor, the experience and training behind TRU ensures that you will be satisfied with our professional work. Feel free to browse the rest of our site for a complete list of our services, but remember, if it’s outdoors, we do it! Just give us a call.

866-487-1359

While you’re thinking about calling us, check out some of the results of other people’s decision to call by visiting our gallery or testimonial pages. Seek out TRU, the dependable contractor, to improve your outdoor living space. Yes, you’ll be shocked by what a new landscape will do for you and your family.

Commercial or Residential, from Anaheim Hills to Laguna Niguel, landscaping is our passion. You can quickly tell that TRU takes the business seriously and has no intention of cutting corners with their work. So if you’re seeking quality and dependability, we’re the Orange County landscape contractor for you.

Residential

Custom Concrete Installations
Driveways and Walkways
Outdoor Lighting
Block Walls
Barbeque Islands
Fire Pits and Fireplaces
Synthetic Turf
Lawns, Sprinklers, and Irrigation

Commercial

Full Service Commercial Landscape Maintenance
Complete Landscape Installs
Tree Trimming and Removal
Irrigation Services