Don't Get Buned...By Bad Contractors Recently, the Montgomery County Office of Consumer Affairs announced that there has been an upswing in the number of people being ripped off by unscrupulous home improvement contractors. In several incidents, people were ripped off for thousands of dollars with little or no work around the homes to show for it. One elderly resident was even taken for $240,000. Here is a link to the article in The Gazette detailing the issue:  Gazette Article How can you be sure that you are dealing with honorable and law abiding contractors? Here is a list of things to check on before you agree to have anyone work done on your property. Insurance - Anyone working on your property should have enough General Liability insurance to cover any damage they may do to your property. The State of Maryland requires that all home improvement licensees carry a minimum of $50,000 in liability insurance. Additionally, to have a pesticide applicators license the state requires $15,000 per occurrence in liability insurance with a $30,000 annual aggregate provision. Of equal importance is that the contractor carry adequate worker's compensation insurance otherwise anyone that gets hurt working on your property can hold you responsible. Any legitimate contractor should be able to furnish you with a certificate of insurance naming you as a co-insured. (FYI: Allentuck Landscaping Co. carries $1,000,000 per occurrence in liability insurance and $500,000 per occurrence in workers compensation insurance. Protecting our clients is very important to us). Licensing - Licensure is one way that the local governments help assure that only legitimate businesses are working in our area. There are several different licenses that are required of any business doing home improvements and landscaping. Montgomery County requires every entity doing business in the county to have a Business License. The State of Maryland requires all contractors, including landscapers, to hold a Home Improvement License. Maryland also requires anyone applying pesticides to hold a Pesticide Applicators License and anyone applying fertilizer to have Nutrient Management Certification. All three of these licenses require several years of experience in the field and the passing of exams. Your contractor should be able to show you these licenses.   References - All good contractors are proud of the relationships they have with past customers and of the work they have done. If you are unsure about them, ask for three references and their contact information. Accurately Written Estimate - If it is not written, it probably will not get done. Estimates should be accurate as to what work will be completed and for what price. Do not accept open ended contracts with no finite dollar amount. Things change on many job sites but only allow them to happen with change orders, again stating what work will be changing and for how much money. Specifics matter and save everyone a lot of headaches in the end. Not every job goes exactly as planned but if you are working with a good contractor and have an open line of communications, most problems can be worked out to everyone's benefit. If you feel that you have been taken advantage of by an illegitimate contractor, there are numerous authorities available to help including Montgomery County Police Department, Montgomery County State's Attorney's Office, Montgomery's Office of Consumer Protection, the Maryland Department of Natural Resources and the state Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation.  Let's hope that by taking the above steps, this will never be necessary for you. To find out more how Allentuck Landscaping Co. can create beautiful landscapes for you, please call us at 301-515-1900 or email at info@allentucklandscaping.com.

April Stuff To Do - Breath

April Stuff To Do

Wow. I do not ever remember a year when we were this far behind garden-wise. It is time to get busy! Here is a list of Stuff To Do in April. 

• It is safe now to plant hardy perennials, shrubs and trees but the word from the nursery industry is that they are running 2-3 weeks behind on getting plants in, especially from the south. Look for full nurseries and garden centers around mid-month.

• It is also safe to plant the cool season annuals like pansies, dianthus and primrose. Add some color to your gardens!

• Lawn mowing will begin as cool season grasses respond to ideal temperatures and spring rain. Most lawns will need to be mowed weekly. Keep lawns between 2-3 inches in the spring. Don't forget to change the oil, spark plug and add fresh fuel.

• Transplant cool season vegetables like broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, leeks and onions.

• As plants leaf out, aphids will begin showing up too. Use an insecticidal soap to control this pest.

• Slugs continue to increase in size and numbers this month. Spread organic slug bait around the garden.

• Don't forget to turn on your outside water to water new plants adequately.

• This is a good time to clean out flower pots, add fresh soil and fertilizer. This way they will be all ready to plant next month.

• The late season also means there is less for wildlife to eat. Re-stock those bird feeders.

• Grilling season is upon us! Clean the grill with soap and water. Replace briquettes and check propane hoses for damage and leaks.

• Go to the Cherry Blossom Festival. Here is a link to there website: http://www.nationalcherryblossomfestival.org/
• BREATH. ENJOY. That is spring air out there!   

Spring - Fourth Time's A Charm

Spring - Fourth Time's A Charm

Maybe this time spring is for real? With the spring, snow, spring, snow pattern we have had this year, it has been hard for anyone to even contemplate their landscape or getting any outdoor project moving. We are confident that we have seen the last of snow (famous last words) and are now 100% in spring landscape mode!

Which brings me to reminding you that Allentuck Landscaping Co. has three outstanding maintenance programs to fit your needs.

• TotalScapes is our all inclusive program for caring for your lawn, gardens and plants. We will take care of it all so that you do not need to.
• GardenScapes takes care of you garden and plants as only our experts can. Your plants will get the TLC they deserve.
• TurfScapes will give you the lushest lawn in the neighborhood. Fertilization, weed control and seeding are all included.

In addition, we are happy to introduce two new services to our customers:

• Deer DeFence is an organic approach to keeping deer away from your plants.
• Mosquito & Tick Shield will keep the dangers of biting and stinging insects away from you and your family so you can enjoy the great outdoors.

Both services use organic products that are safe for pets, children and the environment.

Give us a call or shoot us an email. We would love to tell you more about our great services.

Composting 101

Want to be more green? Here is Compost 101. A simple guide to what can and cannot go into your compost pile.

February Stuff To Do

   February Stuff To Do

  

We are just about there, can you feel it? Spring is knocking on the door. Here are some garden tips to help you get ready for the busy season ahead.

• Spring bulbs are emerging this month. Exposed leaves may get burned a little by the cold temperatures. This will not harm the flower buds.
• Spread wood ashes around vegetable gardens, flower bulb beds and non-acid loving plants.
• Continue to feed wild birds. Black oil sunflower seeds and suet cakes are a good choice for a wide variety of birds. Keep bird feeders clean and provide water.
• Trees can still be pruned now. You may notice excessive sap bleeding from pruning cuts on elm, maple, birch, dogwood, beech, walnut, magnolia, tulip poplar and redbud. This bleeding is harmless to the tree.
• Cut back overgrown shrubs. They will leaf out more quickly if you do any hard pruning at this time of the year.
• Trim ornamental grasses, mondo grass and liriope.
• Plant asparagus crowns when the soil is dry enough to work.
• If starting vegetables and herbs indoors, set up fluorescent growlights and gather needed materials.
• Order flowers for your sweetheart - Valentine's Day is right around the corner!

To find out more how Allentuck Landscaping Co. can create beautiful landscapes for your projects, please call us at 301-515-1900 or email info@allentucklandscaping.com.

My Day Cooking for The Dwelling Place

My Day Cooking for The Dwelling Place

There are not too many days that move me as yesterday did. I had the opportunity to take part in an even sponsored by The Corporate Volunteer Council of Montgomery County (https://cvc-mc.org/) , an organization that Allentuck Landscaping Co. has been active in for many years. The event was to work with The Campus Kitchens Project at the Universities at Shady Grove (https://www.facebook.com/UMES.CK) to prepare meals for the families served by The Dwelling Place (http://tdp-inc.org/) . Our company and our customers had donated food to The Dwelling Place in the past so I was very pleased to be more involved

.
A little background on these excellent organizations:

The Corporate Volunteer Council of Montgomery County is an organization that educates businesses on how to partner with and support non-profit organizations by helping create successful volunteer/charitable programs that positively impact the business, its employees and the local community.

The Campus Kitchens Project is a national leader in community service for students and is the future of hunger relief. It is active in 34 schools across the country. In many schools, the students work to recover extra food from their cafeterias. In the case of this chapter, the students in the hospitality program actually prepare the meals and distribute them. A true win-win stuation.

The Dwelling Place is a nonprofit organization that helps low income families in Montgomery County achieve housing and financial stability.

The afternoon started with a presentation by the head chef/instructor and students at The Campus Kitchens Project. They told us that they prepare 600 meals each month through monetary and in-kind donations, in all, 13,000 meals in the last 6 years. Very impressive. We also listened to the director of The Dwelling Place and learned more about their mission and challenges. We have poverty and people struggling even here in Montgomery County.

Next it was on to the kitchen. We would be preparing three different recipes for sixteen families of four. We worked in teams on the different recipes removing fat and bones from chicken breasts, cutting up broccoli, mixing ingredients and putting together the final meals to go into the oven. It was a lot of hard work but very enjoyable.

One of the nice things about the activity was the opportunity to get to know some of our fellow members a little better. I also got to be fully impressed by the students as well. These kids had their act together; they ran the commercial kitchen like seasoned (no pun intended) restaurant professionals and totally got the mission of service to others. I really enjoyed talking to them one on one and learning their stories and goals.

The day ended with a new group of volunteers who would be partnered with students to make deliveries to the families.

By the way, if you are interested in helping The Campus Kitchens Project, they are holding Dining With The Chefs on Monday April 21, 2014. It sounds like another fantastic event. Check http://tinyurl.com/moettsq or their facebook page for more information.

To learn more about Allentuck Landscaping Co.'s involvement in the community, please visit http://www.allentucklandscaping.com/our_community.html.

Allentuck Landscaping Co. is a leading landscape contractor in Montgomery County, Maryland

Benefits for Your Landscape Compliments of the Polar Vortex.

From Lawn and landscape Magazine:

Some good news for Maryland landscapes - there is a benefit to be gained from the polar vortex! Say adios to some bad pests. 

One upside to the deep freeze

INDUSTRY NEWS

Experts say the extreme cold temeperatures are a chance to kill off invasive species.

| January 9, 2014

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While some people were cursing a canceled flight or wishing they had donned an extra layer on Tuesday, when temperatures in the region took a deep dive, entomologists, foresters and naturalists were rooting for the mercury to drop even lower. That is because the extreme cold has the potential to beat back some of the invasive insects threatening treasured local tree and plant species.

“You do think, ‘Oh great, maybe some of those nasty insects are going to get zapped today,’” says Mark Fisher, director of conservatories and horticultural programs at Brooklyn Botanic Garden. “It’s Mother Nature’s way of dealing with this issue.”

The insects, whether introduced pests like the hemlock woolly adelgid or native ones like the southern pine beetle, have weakened forests from Cape May, N.J., to Litchfield County in Connecticut. They are uncannily adept at surviving the winter, but most have a breaking point. And this week, that point was nigh.

“The lethal temperature for the woolly adelgid is minus 4 or 5 degrees Fahrenheit,” says Richard S. Cowles, a scientist with the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, a state research center. “I was cheering a couple of days ago because most of the adelgids will be dying from the temperatures we saw.”

Dr. Cowles, an entomologist, admitted to rejoicing that temperatures for the early morning hours of Saturday had ranged from 3 degrees to minus 9 in the state. Then came another deep freeze on Tuesday. “At that temperature, ice crystals start forming in the woolly adelgid’s body, and it kills them,” he says.

But entomologists cautioned that once an invasive species has arrived, it is almost always a matter of managing the population, not eradicating it. Some will inevitably survive. Dr. Cowles said that the adelgid population could still rebound within two years.

An aphid-like insect, introduced to the United States in the 1950s from Japan, the woolly adelgid has killed hundreds of thousands of Eastern hemlocks in Connecticut alone since arriving there in the 1980s. The pest, about the size of a period, can pierce the base of needles and suck out the tree’s nutritional supply. The adult can survive the winter on a branch.

Extreme cold is a fortuitous management tool. But with a warming climate, it is one that scientists cannot count on. “The weather will give them a temporary setback, but as soon as the weather warms up, they will take off again,” says Jan Nyrop, a professor of entomology and senior associate dean of Cornell University’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.

In the Pinelands in southern New Jersey, state foresters have been battling the southern pine beetle. The beetle can tunnel through a tree’s bark, eating a layer of tissue that supplies the tree with critical nutrients. Until recently, the beetles, which are native to the southern United States, did not survive north of Delaware, because of the cold. But that has changed as winters have turned milder.

The past century in New Jersey has seen a warming trend of 2.3 degrees Fahrenheit. More important than average temperatures in the beetles’ spread is the lack of periodic cold snaps in which the temperature plunges to minus 8 degrees.

The Pinelands have not experienced that kind of cold since 1996, and the first southern pine beetles were detected several years later. Whether the recent deep chill was enough to thwart their progress remains to be seen. The temperature for the past week in Chatsworth, N.J., in the heart of the Pinelands, reached a low of minus 7 on Saturday.

Ron Corcory, the project coordinator for the southern pine beetle with the New Jersey State Forestry Services, said that “sustained, very cold” weather was a powerful weapon. “We’re certainly optimistic that this will have some impact, but we won’t know until the spring,” he says. “We’d want to see a lot of green tops of trees.”

Emerald ash borers need even colder temperatures to succumb. The insects were first detected in 2002, after they arrived on wood pallets from China, and have since killed tens of millions of ash trees in more than 20 states. Studies suggest that temperatures must plummet to minus 30 degrees in order to achieve widespread mortality, and foresters and scientists in Minnesota and Illinois, where it was that cold this week, were hoping for a die-off.

But in New York, scientists were setting their sights on other targets. Amy Berkov, an assistant professor of biology at City College of New York, said she was hoping for some downward pressure on ticks, some of which spread Lyme disease. She recalled a field trip during the unusually mild winter two years ago when one of her students came back bearing a tick.

Dr. Berkov, who specializes in tropical ecology, said that she was warmed by this week’s cold. “Even though I work in the tropics, I like a seasonal climate,” she says. “I think it does tamp down some of these things that we’d rather not be seeing more of.”

Source: NY Times

You Deserve A Little Paradise

   You Need A Deserve Paradise

  

Wow. What a crazy few days it has been. What was supposed to be just an arctic clipper with less just a dusting of snow predicted developed into 6-10" of fluffy white snow, another arctic vortex (has anyone even heard of such a thing before this winter?) brought temperatures in the teens, and more school closings and delays! It is enough to make you long for a tropical island getaway.

  

Well, it is not too early to start thinking about creating your own backyard getaway. Nothing beats being able to step out your backdoor into your very own private oasis. Here are 6 things you can do to bring this to life:

  

1. Create a Picture Perfect Patio

A patio can be a hot slab of concrete baking in the sun--or it can be a welcoming extension of your home, calling you outdoors to enjoy cool breezes and fresh air. With a little planning, you can make your patio a comfortable seasonal room.

Patios are usually surfaced with brick or stone. If you opt for concrete, consider adding texture and color to imitate stone for a more natural look. Design the patio to be an extension of your home's style, and use planting beds, container gardens, and weatherproof furniture to decorate the outdoor space. 

  

2. Add an Outdoor Kitchen

  

If you grill at least twice a week from spring through fall and if you love eating outdoors, you need an outdoor kitchen. You don't need a fancy grill, but a countertop for food prep and conveniences such as closed storage and a separate side burner will greatly enhance your outdoor cooking experience. Add a refrigerator and sink to make preparation and cleanup even easier.

   

3.  Plan Outdoor Lighting

   

To enjoy your backyard getaway after the sun sets, include outdoor lighting. At its most basic, this consists of porch lights that illuminate access to the house and provide ambient lighting. For outdoor kitchens, you'll need good task lighting over the grill and work areas. For the dining and conversation areas, candlelight, wallmount downlights, or dimmable electric lamps create a relaxed mood. Steps and walkways should be illuminated for safety. You can also use accent lights to add drama and interest to the landscape and to highlight paths. Combine a mix of lighting sources to make your backyard getaway a magical place after dark.

  

4. Layer on the Amenities

 

Fountains, fireplaces, and fire pits enhance the beauty and usefulness of your outdoor rooms. Fountains add the soothing sound of trickling water and can serve as the focal point of an outdoor space. Fireplaces make a natural focal point and can help define space and provide privacy for an outdoor room. They're also a starting point for an outdoor kitchen. Fire pits, whether built-in or moveable, also serve to draw people together and can extend the usefulness of an outdoor living room into cooler weather.  

Finally, accessorize your outdoor rooms with garden statuary, weatherproof art (such as plates, garden plaques, or decorative wrought iron), and pillows covered in weatherproof fabrics. These touches will turn an ordinary patio or deck into a welcoming, personal space for outdoor living.

  

5. Dress Up Your Deck

Make your deck a destination by defining different activity zones within the space. Creating multiple levels carve out spaces for dining and relaxing on the deck. A pergola covered with luxurious vines and an abundance of plants in containers bring the surrounding garden up onto the deck and help blend the structure into the landscape. Potted gardens packed with seasonal flowers add pizzazz to brighten up any space. 

6. Ensure Privacy

Your outdoor room will feel more like an oasis if it has a sense of enclosure. Fences and garden walls ensure privacy for patios, but you can also use lattice, pergolas, and landscaping to define outdoor spaces and screen views of neighboring houses.

  

If the thought of these ideas do not make you yearn for warmer days we don't know what will. 

To see more of the paradises Allentuck Landscaping Co. has created, visit our Project Portfolio.

Give our designers a call or email today to get started on creating you very own backyard paradise. We can be reached at 301-515-1900 or info@allentucklandscaping.com.

Dogs in Funny Outfit Helpng Honeybees

Just thought this was interesting:

Beekeeping dog in 'astronaut' suit detects infected hives by smell

Michael Graham Richard
Science / Natural Sciences
July 12, 2013

© Josh Kennett

Bzzz bzzz woof woof

Bees are extremely important. We've been writing about for years about the various threats that they face (Margaret has a great timeline of bee articles between 2005 and 2013), and about various ways to protect them. But this story from Australia might be the most original yet, or at the very least the cutest.

On the photo above is Bazz, a black labrador that beekeeper Josh Kennett has trained to detect by smell a serious bee disease called American foulbrood. The Paenibacillus larvae caused by the infection are usually only visible under high-magnification microscope, but thanks to Bazz, that's not necessary.

© Josh Kennett

Microscope analysis might not be needed thanks to Bazz's nose, but the dog still had to be protected from bee attack to get close enough to sniff out the hives. That's why Kennett built this protective suit that makes Bazz look a big like a canine astronaut.

It's particularly important to detect American foulbrood infections early because there is no cure (yet), so the only thing that can be done is quarantining the infected colonies to keep the disease from spreading.

wikimedia / Shawn Caza/CC BY-SA 3.0

You can listen to a radio interview with Mr. Kennett here about his bees and dog.

Via ABC Australia

January Stuff To Do

January Stuff To Do    Yes, we know it is cold outside but that does not mean there are not things to get accomplished in the garden. Here are this months tips: Use this month to check your houseplants: divide and re-pot any pot-bound plants. Prune judiciously to create a compact, attractive specimen. Closely inspect houseplants. Remove aphids from houseplants with a mixture of equal parts rubbing alcohol and water and add a drop of dishwashing detergent. Apply this to troubled plants with a soft brush. Plan your vegetable garden and make a diagram drawn to scale before placing your spring order. Organize, clean, oil, and sharpen garden tools. A splash of bright paint on tool handles will make them easier to spot if misplaced out in the yard. Remember to supply fresh water and seed for the birds. Gently shake or brush off snow-weighted branches that have no support. Heavy snow cover protects evergreen foliage from windburn, but too much weight will break branches. Prune fruit trees now. Avoid walking over the same areas of your frozen lawn, or you may find bald spots in the spring. Plant lettuce in flats this month and harvest before it's time to start some of the later seedlings. Artificial light may be required, but the air should not be too hot. Finalize your landscape garden plans on paper (or better yet, call us and have our designers do it for you!).   Adapted from The Old Farmer's Almanac

Wishes