Lawn Care Now Means Better Spring Grass

During the winter is when you might spend the least amount of time thinking of your grass. Unless you live in the Valley of the Sun, chances are you have had your staff put the lawn equipment away and are ready for a few months of relaxation before you have to start thinking about your lawn maintenance schedule again.

There are a few things you can do during the winter that can ensure beautiful, grounds once spring rolls around again.

Fertilizing In Winter
Late fall or early winter are the best times to fertilize cool season grasses. Since the majority of the lawns in North America are made from these grasses, like Bermuda and bluegrass, it is a good bet your yard has a typical cool season blend.

Give your lawn a thorough fertilizing to replace all of the nutrients that can be lost from the soil during the hot summer months. Once the weather turns cold, the fertilizer will remain in the soil and feed your lawn’s roots all winter long.

When spring comes your lawn will be full of healthy, lush, green grass that has been feeding on good fertilizer nutrients underneath the snow.

Mowing Strategies
During the last month of the fall you should gradually lower the cutting base of your lawn mower each time you mow the lawn. Slowly cutting your grass shorter will allow it to winter well without shocking it by cutting it all off at once.

If you leave your lawn too tall during the winter months it will be prey to field mice and other burrowing animals that want a warm place to sleep. Mice can destroy large parts of your lawn by building nests. They create dead spots where they spend all of their time as well as pulling up large amounts of grass to build their structures.

Make sure your grass is as short as possible at the end of the season. Short grass also protects any new growth that may be more fragile near the end of the growing season.

Keep it Clean
It is easy for items to be left on the lawn during the cold weather when no one goes outside very often. Stray toys, blow-ins and even lawn furniture can be accidentally overlooked.

Make sure that your staff clear the lawn of all objects after you mow it for the last time of the year. Do an occasional sweep of the lawn every couple of weeks during the winter, as well.

If an object is left on the grass during cold weather it can create large dead spots because of the weight of the object. In the spring the grass in that area will be stunted and thinner than the rest of the grounds.

It doesn’t matter to us whether you want desert landscaping, lush lawns or some type of landscaping in between, we can help.  We serve businesses like yours all over the Phoenix Metro Area. To find out how give us a call at 623-848-8277.

Presented by:
Greens Keeper Landscape Maintenance, LLC
623-848-8277
http://www.commerciallandscapecare.com
greenskeeperllc@cox.net

We Are Thankful For Our Customers

I know, you may have heard that one before.  At Greens Keeper Landscaping there is a big difference.   We really do put our customers first.  We listen to our customers and potential customers.

We have learned that putting our customers first and then following up is really the way people want to be treated. Perhaps that is the only way, to achieve happy customers.  The amazing thing about happy customers is that they tend to bring you even more customers.

We listen to what our customers want and need.  Over the years we have learned to both listen and know what are the right questions to ask.  Knowing the right questions to ask leads to the right answers.  Having the right answers leads to doing a great job for our customers.  We always try to ask open-ended questions that encourage a true dialogue, rather than one-word answers.

Are we bragging? Yes, I guess we are.  Our results are more than just bragging.  Our results, making your commercial property look great are rewards all their own.  When your property shines, then we know we have done the right thing for you as our customer..  

Businesses should never forget to put their customers first. In fact, really listening to customers happens so rarely these days that we found a big competitive edge just by doing it.  We listen and we put our customer’s needs first..  

As good listeners we try to respond to broad comments with questions that get to the heart of the problem.  We don't rely on just preprinted customer feedback forms, or a fixed set of questions. All our staff tries to think on their feet and go where the discussion leads, rather than stick to a script.

If you feel this is the way business should be done then give Greens Keeper Landscape Maintenance at shot at listening to your landscaping needs.

It doesn’t matter to us whether you want lush lawns, desert landscaping or some type of landscaping in between, we can help.  To find out how give us a call at 623-848-8277.

Presented by:
Greens Keeper Landscape Maintenance, LLC
623-848-8277
http://www.commerciallandscapecare.com
greenskeeperllc@cox.net

We Wish You A Happy Thanksgiving

From All Of Us At  Greens Keeper Landscape Maintenance Happy Thanksgiving

Prayers of thanks and special thanksgiving ceremonies are common among almost all religions after harvests and at other times. The Thanksgiving holiday's history in North America is rooted in English traditions dating from the Protestant Reformation. It also has aspects of a harvest festival, even though the harvest in New England occurs well before the late-November date on which the modern Thanksgiving holiday is celebrated.

In the English tradition, days of thanksgiving and special thanksgiving religious services became important during the English Reformation in the reign of Henry VIII and in reaction to the large number of religious holidays on the Catholic calendar. Before 1536 there were 95 Church holidays, plus 52 Sundays, when people were required to attend church and forego work and sometimes pay for expensive celebrations. The 1536 reforms reduced the number of Church holidays to 27, but some Puritans wished to completely eliminate all Church holidays, including Christmas and Easter. The holidays were to be replaced by specially called Days of Fasting or Days of Thanksgiving, in response to events that the Puritans viewed as acts of special providence. Unexpected disasters or threats of judgement from on high called for Days of Fasting. Special blessings, viewed as coming from God, called for Days of Thanksgiving. For example, Days of Fasting were called on account of drought in 1611, floods in 1613, and plagues in 1604 and 1622. Days of Thanksgiving were called following the victory over the Spanish Armada in 1588 and following the deliverance of Queen Anne in 1705. 

Here in the US, the modern Thanksgiving holiday tradition is commonly, but not universally, traced to a sparsely documented 1621 celebration at Plymouth in present-day Massachusetts. The 1621 Plymouth feast and thanksgiving was prompted by a good harvest. Pilgrims and Puritans who began emigrating from England in the 1620s and 1630s carried the tradition of Days of Fasting and Days of Thanksgiving with them to New England. Several days of Thanksgiving were held in early New England history that have been identified as the "First Thanksgiving", including Pilgrim holidays in Plymouth in 1621 and 1623, and a Puritan holiday in Boston in 1631. According to historian Jeremy Bangs, director of the Leiden American Pilgrim Museum, the Pilgrims may have been influenced by watching the annual services of Thanksgiving for the relief of the siege of Leiden in 1574, while they were staying in Leiden. Now called Oktober Feesten, Leiden's autumn thanksgiving celebration in 1617 was the occasion for sectarian disturbance that appears to have accelerated the pilgrims’ plans to emigrate to America. In later years, religious thanksgiving services were declared by civil leaders such as Governor Bradford, who planned the colony's thanksgiving celebration and fast in 1623. The practice of holding an annual harvest festival did not become a regular affair in New England until the late 1660s.

Thanksgiving proclamations were made mostly by church leaders in New England up until 1682, and then by both state and church leaders until after the American Revolution. During the revolutionary period, political influences affected the issuance of Thanksgiving proclamations. Various proclamations were made by royal governors, John Hancock, General George Washington, and the Continental Congress, each giving thanks to God for events favorable to their causes. As President of the United States, George Washington proclaimed the first nationwide thanksgiving celebration in America marking November 26, 1789, "as a day of public thanksgiving and prayer to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favors of Almighty God".

In modern times the President of the United States, in addition to issuing a proclamation, will "pardon" a turkey, which spares the bird's life and ensures that it will spend the duration of its life roaming freely on farmland.
It doesn’t matter to us whether you want desert landscaping, lush lawns or some type of landscaping in between, we can help.  We serve businesses like yours all over the Phoenix Metro Area. To find out how give us a call at 623-848-8277.

Presented by:
Greens Keeper Landscape Maintenance, LLC
623-848-8277
http://www.commerciallandscapecare.com
greenskeeperllc@cox.net

What Is In A Cornucopia?

Normally on Wednesday we have been featuring a different plant that is native to or grows well here in the Phoenix Metro Area. Since tomorrow is Thanksgiving we thought we would talk about one of the two favorite symbols of the holiday. When I think of Fall or Thanksgiving I see two images. One is of course the turkey and the second is a Cornucopia.

The cornucopia or horn of plenty is a symbol of abundance and nourishment, commonly a large horn-shaped container overflowing with produce, flowers or nuts. The horn originates from classical antiquity, it has continued as a symbol in Western art, and it is particularly associated with the Thanksgiving holiday here in the United States.

Mythology offers multiple explanations of the origin of the cornucopia. One of the best-known involves the birth and nurturance of the infant Zeus, who had to be hidden from his devouring father Kronus. In a cave on Mount Ida on the island of Crete, baby Zeus was cared for and protected by a number of divine attendants, including the goat Amalthea ("Nourishing Goddess"), who fed him with her milk. The suckling future king of the gods had unusual abilities and strength, and in playing with his nursemaid accidentally broke off one of her horns, which then had the divine power to provide unending nourishment, as the foster mother had to the god.

In another myth, the cornucopia was created when Heracles (Roman Hercules) wrestled with the river god Achelous and wrenched off one of his horns; river gods were sometimes depicted as horned. This version is represented in the Achelous and Hercules mural painting by the American Regionalist artist Thomas Hart Benton.

In modern depictions, the cornucopia is typically a hollow, horn-shaped wicker basket filled with various kinds of festive fruit and vegetables. In most of North America, the cornucopia has come to be associated with Thanksgiving and the harvest. Cornucopia is also the name of the annual November Food and Wine celebration in Whistler, British Columbia, Canada. Two cornucopias are seen in the flag and state seal of Idaho. 

The Great Seal of North Carolina depicts Liberty standing and Plenty holding a cornucopia. The coat of arms of Colombia, Panama, Peru and Venezuela, and the Coat of Arms of the State of Victoria, Australia, also feature the cornucopia, symbolizing prosperity. In the book and film series.

We all hope that your family has the blessing of abundance. 

It doesn’t matter to us whether you want desert landscaping, lush lawns or some type of landscaping in between, we can help.  We serve businesses like yours all over the Phoenix Metro Area. To find out how give us a call at 623-848-8277.

Presented by:

Greens Keeper Landscape Maintenance, LLC

623-848-8277

http://www.commerciallandscapecare.com

greenskeeperllc@cox.net

Weeds You Can Add To Thanksgiving Dinner

Not only are these great with your traditional Thanksgiving dinner they can be free. You have heard there is no such thing as a free lunch. Well here is a different point of view. If you think everything in your lawn that isn't grass must be a nuisance, you're missing out on a free lunch. Those pesky weeds are loaded with antioxidants, vitamins and protein, sometimes even more nutritious than what you'll find at the grocery store. Here are some suggestions for finding free munchies in your backyard. Just remember to ID them with a credible source if you're not plant-savvy.

Bamboo Shoots

This familiar plant, made into everything from floorboards to pajamas, is actually a type of grass. And if anyone near you has ever planted any (it's actually grown by U.S. farmers in warm climates and even as far north as New England), there's a good chance some of it will spread into your yard because, once it escapes, the weed can be very invasive and hard to control. Bamboo shoots are full of fiber, and are sometimes described as tasting like corn. Should any pop up in your vicinity, harvest shoots that are less than two weeks old and under 1 foot tall. Bamboo shoots have to be cooked before you eat them: Peel the outer leaves away and remove any tough flesh. Cut across the grain into one-eighth-inch slices, and boil in an uncovered pan for 20 minutes (or longer, if there's still a bitter taste to them). After they're prepared in this way, you can eat them with some soy sauce, add to salads, or use them in stir-fries.

Dandelion

Perhaps the most familiar lawn weed of them all, the dandelion may also be the weed that's most known to be edible. In fact, the reason it exists in the U.S. is that European settlers introduced it as a salad green. You can buy dandelion greens at some specialty food markets, but odds are, there are some growing, for free, a whole lot closer to you. They have a slightly bitter taste when they mature, so harvest the tender leaves that appear in early spring and in late fall, when they're sweetest. The flowers are edible too and have a mildly bittersweet flavor. And eat them up! Dandelions have more beta-carotene than carrots.

Red Clover

Red clover has been used for ages as a folk remedy for cancer. It contains the phytoestrogen genistein, which, although controversial, has been found to have a protective effect against colon and prostate cancers. However, because there's some evidence that phytoestrogens can have the opposite effect on breast cancer, go easy on the red clover. But if you have some growing in your yard, an occasional meal of red clover flowers sprinkled over rice or cooked in soy sauce is a good way to clean up your yard. In addition to being potential cancer-fighters, clover flowers are high in protein. You can also eat white clover, but it's not as nutritious or flavorful as red.

Watercress

You can pay $3 for a bunch of watercress, an antioxidant powerhouse, at your local grocery store...or you can find a stream and stock up for free. An increasingly popular ingredient in gourmet salads, many people don't realize that watercress is actually a weed. It grows alongside streams and riverbanks in nearly every U.S. state. The most popular way to eat watercress is to add it to salads raw.

It doesn’t matter to us whether you want desert landscaping, lush lawns or some type of landscaping in between, we can help.  We serve businesses like yours all over the Phoenix Metro Area. To find out how give us a call at 623-848-8277.

Presented by:

Greens Keeper Landscape Maintenance, LLC

623-848-8277

http://www.commerciallandscapecare.com

greenskeeperllc@cox.net

The Best For Your Winter Grass and Commercial Property

While Bermuda grass typically goes dormant in the cold months, it is possible to extend the length of its growing season and lush green appearance well into winter.  The University of Arizona turf specialists recommend multiple applications of iron (2-4 oz of actual iron per 1000 square feet).  Apply the first application in early October, the next 10 days later and follow up again after another 10 days.  Do not apply nitrogen fertilizers.  Remember that even dormant Bermuda grass needs ½ inch of water per month during the winter 

Another option is applying a colorant to dormant lawns. The University of Arizona has been doing trials with coloring dormant Bermuda for the winter.  

Since we live in a desert environment, it is important to use our water as efficiently as possible.

 Limiting, or forgoing, overseeding is one of many ways to conserve water. There are significant benefits to not overseeding, such as reduced water costs and lower costs associated with preparing and maintaining the winter lawn.

The overseeding process is stressful to Bermuda.  Just at the time when it is beginning to store sugars in its roots and rhizomes, all the vegetative parts are cut off stopping that process.  It can't manufacture food which  weakens the grass making it difficult for it to grow back vigorously in the spring.  Its root structure is weakened and it has low tolerance to extreme temperatures. When this process is repeated year after year, the grass may become so weak that it becomes thin or dies out in patches leaving bare spots when the rye dies in late spring.

An option is to allow your Bermuda lawn to rest or go dormant for the winter season.  There is nothing wrong with this and in fact, University of Arizona turf specialists agree it’s better for the lawn in most cases.  This will save you the costs of installation, maintenance and water.  Non overseeded Bermuda will begin greening up as early as February or March.  This option allows for other maintenance issues to be resolved and can be used as an opportunity to 'spruce up' landscape areas.

It doesn’t matter to us whether you want desert landscaping, lush lawns or some type of landscaping in between, we can help.  We serve businesses like yours all over the Phoenix Metro Area. To find out how give us a call at 623-848-8277.

Presented by:
Greens Keeper Landscape Maintenance, LLC
623-848-8277
http://www.commerciallandscapecare.com
greenskeeperllc@cox.net

What Is Your Cost Of Landscaping Maintenance?

We want to make sure you know that we are welcoming new customers.  Do you have a commercial property that you would like to see if we can add to our regularly scheduled landscape maintenance?

We would like the opportunity to bid for your business. Let us know if you would a new competitive offer for your property maintenance please give us a call and let us show you all the ways we can help you save.

We are a service oriented family owned business specializing in commercial landscape maintenance, providing high quality care based on open communication, and the highest quality service.

We offer a full range of options for our customers by tailoring a maintenance program to the specific individual needs of each property, and budget. We will strive to keep your landscape safe and beautiful, while at the same time keeping your costs as low as possible.

We meet or exceed the highest insurance standards, with $2000000 business liability, $1000000 commercial auto, and $1000000 workman's comp. We list all our customers as additional insured at no extra charge upon request.

Our vehicles are clearly marked and our employees are in uniform for easy identification. All our employees are verified through the I-9 verification system and have successfully passed background checks.

Keep in mind that Greens Keeper Landscape Maintenance can Help!  Please contact us at; Sales: 623-848-8277 We serve businesses like yours throughout the entire Phoenix Metro Area.

Presented by:
Greens Keeper Landscape Maintenance, LLC
623-848-8277
http://www.commerciallandscapecare.com
greenskeeperllc@cox.net

Help Arizona Family and Pet Rescue

This very timely Holiday story is brought to you courtesy of Greens Keeper Landscape Maintenance.

It is about that time of year again. We gather with friends and family, thankful for all the blessings and good fortune in our lives, we gather to feast and watch parades and football games. Some of us even take the time out of our busy holiday schedules to remember those less fortunate and drop non-perishable food items off at our local food kitchens. Unfortunately being hungry and homeless tends to be more of an annual predicament, not just a seasonal one.

For many who see the homeless, labels spring to mind, drug users, alcoholics, and mentally ill. Rarely do you stop to think Veteran or lost job. In a society where many families have to survive paycheck to paycheck, the loss of a job or a sudden illness can mean the loss of their home and life on the streets. And do we ever stop to consider, what happens to the fur kids when the humans lose their homes. The four legged family members are a staple of American life, but shelters don't take animals in along with their families. Many people choose to remain on the streets or live in their cars to keep all of their family intact, including the furry ones. Anyone who has lost an animal or had to surrender one due to unforeseeable circumstances knows the depression and pain that comes with it. The loss of a pet can ultimately be detrimental to the recovery of a family. That is where Kyle Lugenbeal comes in.

With shelters closing and laws forbidding people to feed the homeless, Kyle Lugenbeal is all too familiar with the reality that faces many of our people stranded on the streets. In an answer, he has started a resource known as AZ family and Pet Rescue. The resource not only attempts to find shelter for families and individuals who need assistance, but also seeks to partner theses families with foster families for their dogs and cats. These volunteer foster families allow those struggling to concentrate on getting their feet under them and back into a stable situation.

AZ Family and Pet Rescue is only a few months old, but despite the infancy of this resource it is already being bombarded with requests from those who need assistance.

Music Venues

In September a music venue was organized to assist AZ Family and Pet Rescue. 100% of the donations went to homeless families and their pets.  Specifically, two families were placed in hotels as well as 3 pets were able to be fostered, due to the generosity of the people who attended the concert. Like AZ Family and Pet Rescue on Facebook to keep up to date with any future music venues.  http://www.facebook.com/AZFamilyRescue

Help Needed

Mr. Lugenbeal cannot do this on his own. It is only through continued community support that these families and their pets can attain a stable and safe living environment. Unfortunately due to current laws prohibiting the feeding of homeless individuals, AZ Family and Pet rescue cannot accept human food donations. However, foster families are sorely needed. If your household is able to provide a temporary, safe and loving environment for a pet in need, please contact AZ Family and Pet Rescue via their Facebook page. Money donations are always accepted, but items such as socks, bottled water and pet food can go a long way in helping those who are without shelter. 

As Mr. Lugenbeal says "These people need a hand up, not a hand out."

If you need help with commercial landscaping it doesn’t matter to us whether you want desert landscaping, lush lawns or some type of landscaping in between, we can help.  We serve businesses like yours all over the Phoenix Metro Area. To find out how give us a call at 623-848-8277.

Presented by:
Greens Keeper Landscape Maintenance, LLC
623-848-8277
http://www.commerciallandscapecare.com
greenskeeperllc@cox.net 

Plant of the Week – Wine Cups

The southwest desert has some of the most colorful and beautiful plants and the Wine Cups are no exception. They go by many names; Buffalo Rose, Purple Poppy Mallow, and their scientific name Callirhoe involucrata. They are perfect to add to your commercial property here in the Phoenix Metro area.

Callirhoe involucrata is a species of flowering plant in the mallow family known by the common name purple poppy-mallow. It is native to the United States, and northern Mexico. Callirhoe is a genus of flowering plants in the mallow family, Malvaceae. Its nine species are commonly known as wine cups or poppy mallows and all are native to the prairies and grasslands of North America. Of the nine, some are annuals while others are perennial plants.

The genus is named for the Oceanid Callirrhoe in Greek mythology. Poppy mallow leaves are alternate and palmately lobed. The flowers are cup-shaped and brightly colored.

The purple poppy mallow (Callirhoe involucrata) is grown as a garden plant. It is a low-growing perennial with a large taproot and hairy stems. The flowers range from cerise to reddish violet with white centers. It is especially used in dry climates.

The wine cups have lots of solitary, wine-colored, cup-shaped flowers bloom all summer on this 2 to 3 feet wide perennial. Native to the sandy, gravelly soils of the southwest prairies, woodlands and roadsides but thrives everywhere we've tried it. Cold hardy. Sow in fall or soak seed 6 to 8 hours in water & sow in spring.

Wine cup tubers can be found in dry, sandy fields. The leaves are best cooked where their okra-like tendencies can be used to thicken stews. The tubers taste like sweet potatoes and can be eaten raw or cooked. The tubers are biggest in the winter, but are very hard to find then without the wine cup flower showing their location.

These Wine Cup flowering plants can add beauty to your commercial landscaping and are surprisingly low maintenance. 

It doesn’t matter to us whether you want desert landscaping, lush lawns or some type of landscaping in between, we can help.  We serve businesses like yours all over the Phoenix Metro Area. To find out how give us a call at 623-848-8277.

Presented by:
Greens Keeper Landscape Maintenance, LLC
623-848-8277
http://www.commerciallandscapecare.com
greenskeeperllc@cox.net 

Fighting Weeds On Your Grassy Areas

While fighting weeds is a year-round job, weed prevention is best practiced in the fall and early spring to take advantage of the growing season of turf grasses. In many parts of the country November really is considered Fall.  But, here in the Valley of the Sun our Novembers are much like late September in most of the rest of the United States.

A healthy, lush lawn is your number one defense for fighting weeds. In fact, a badly weed-infested lawn is usually a sign of nutrient imbalance or other soil problems.

For a nice, green lawn on your commercial property that is free of weeds, focus first on getting your grass healthy, then give it a couple of months to become strong before applying weed control products. Minimize turf areas, so that you’re only growing grass where grass easily grows. A small patch of healthy grass is far more attractive than a huge expanse of thin, weedy lawn.

Small patches of weeds can be handled by simply pulling or digging. All-over lawn weed control is usually not necessary either, as a heavy infestation would be better handled by making the grass healthy. However, for those in-between situations, you may want to consider the application of a chemical or organic herbicide. Using chemicals means making sure you know which weed types you are trying to eliminate.

Reading weeds is actually very simple. First, know that weeds thrive in soil that is compacted, poorly fertilized, and not pH balanced; and in lawns that are improperly watered, seeded, and mowed.

Remember, many plants that are considered weeds, have beneficial qualities. Try to develop a tolerance for some weeds. For instance, clover considered a typical turf weed - thrives in soil with low nitrogen levels, compaction issues, and drought stress. However, clover takes free nitrogen from the atmosphere and distributes it to the grass, which helps it grow. Clover roots are extensive and extremely drought resistant, providing significant resources to soil organisms, and clover will stay green long after turf goes naturally dormant. Crabgrass provides erosion control, dandelions’ deep roots return nutrients to the surface, and plantains are edible!

Don’t worry about your weeds and lawn maintenance. It doesn’t matter to us whether you want desert landscaping, lush lawns or some type of landscaping in between, we can help.  We serve businesses like yours all over the Phoenix Metro Area. To find out how give us a call at 623-848-8277.

Presented by:

Greens Keeper Landscape Maintenance, LLC

623-848-8277

http://www.commerciallandscapecare.com

greenskeeperllc@cox.net

What Does Grass Mean To You?

If we look up the word “Grass” here is what we find;

noun: grass; plural noun: grasses

Vegetation consisting of typically short plants with long narrow leaves, growing wild or cultivated on lawns and pasture, and as a fodder crop. synonyms: turf, sod; lawn, green
"fertilize the grass" ground covered with grass. "he sat down on the grass"
 pastureland. "the farms were mostly given over to grass"

The mainly herbaceous plant that constitutes grass, which has jointed stems and spikes of small, wind-pollinated flowers.
synonyms: turf, sod; lawn, green "fertilize the grass"

British informal
a police informer.  Synonyms: turf, sod; lawn, green

As a verb;
verb: grass; 3rd person present: grasses; past tense: grassed; past participle: grassed; gerund or present participle: grassing

Grasses, or more technically graminoids, are monocotyledonous, usually herbaceous plants with narrow leaves growing from the base. They include the "true grasses", of the family Poaceae (also called Gramineae), as well as the sedges (Cyperaceae) and the rushes (Juncaceae). The true grasses include cereals, bamboo and the grasses of lawns (turf) and grassland. Sedges include many wild marsh and grassland plants, and some cultivated ones such as water chestnut (Eleocharis dulcis) and papyrus sedge (Cyperus papyrus).

Uses for graminoids include food (as grain, sprouted grain, shoots or rhizomes), drink (beer, whisky, vodka), pasture for livestock, thatch, paper, fuel, clothing, insulation, construction, sports turf, basket weaving and many others.

Graminoids include some of the most versatile plant life-forms. They became widespread toward the end of the Cretaceous period, and fossilized dinosaur dung (coprolites) have been found containing phytoliths of a variety that include grasses that are related to modern rice and bamboo. Grasses have adapted to conditions in lush rain forests, dry deserts, cold mountains and even intertidal habitats, and are now the most widespread plant type; grass is a valuable source of food and energy for all sorts of wildlife and organics.

Graminoids are the dominant vegetation in many habitats, including grassland, salt-marsh, reedswamp and steppes. They also occur as a smaller part of the vegetation in almost every other terrestrial habitat.

Many types of animals eat grass as their main source of food, and are called graminivores – these include cattle, sheep, horses, rabbits and many invertebrates, such as grasshoppers and the caterpillars of many brown butterflies. Grasses are also eaten by omnivorous or even occasionally by primarily carnivorous animals. Grasses are unusual in that the meristem is located near the bottom of the plant, hence can quickly recover from cropping at the top.

In the study of ecological communities, herbaceous plants are divided into graminoids and forbs, which are herbaceous dicotyledons, mostly with broad leaves.

No matter what you call it, you don’t need to worry about your lawn maintenance. It doesn’t matter to us whether you want desert landscaping, lush lawns or some type of landscaping in between, we can help.  We serve businesses like yours all over the Phoenix Metro Area. To find out how give us a call at 623-848-8277.

Presented by:
Greens Keeper Landscape Maintenance, LLC
623-848-8277
http://www.commerciallandscapecare.com
greenskeeperllc@cox.net

Can We Ask, Are You Happy With Your Landscaping Maintenance?

We want to make sure you know that we are welcoming new customers.  Do you have a commercial property that you would like to see if we can add to our regularly scheduled landscape maintenance?

We would like the opportunity to bid for your business. Let us know if you would a new competitive offer for your property maintenance please give us a call and let us show you all the ways we can help you save.

We are a service oriented family owned business specializing in commercial landscape maintenance, providing high quality care based on open communication, and the highest quality service.

We offer a full range of options for our customers by tailoring a maintenance program to the specific individual needs of each property, and budget. We will strive to keep your landscape safe and beautiful, while at the same time keeping your costs as low as possible.

We meet or exceed the highest insurance standards, with $2000000 business liability, $1000000 commercial auto, and $1000000 workman's comp. We list all our customers as additional insured at no extra charge upon request.

Our vehicles are clearly marked and our employees are in uniform for easy identification. All our employees are verified through the I-9 verification system and have successfully passed background checks.

Keep in mind that Greens Keeper Landscape Maintenance can Help!  Please contact us at; Sales: 623-848-8277 We serve businesses like yours throughout the entire Phoenix Metro Area.

Presented by:
Greens Keeper Landscape Maintenance, LLC
623-848-8277
http://www.commerciallandscapecare.com
greenskeeperllc@cox.net

Famous Parks: Central Park New York City

When you ask people to name a famous park many times the first one mentioned is Central Park. Central Park is an urban park in middle-upper Manhattan, New York City. Central Park is the most visited urban park in the United States as well as one of the most filmed locations in the world.

It opened in 1857 on 778 acres of city-owned land. In 1858, Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux, two soon-to-be famed national landscapers and architects, won a design competition to improve and expand the park with a plan they titled the "Greensward Plan". Construction began the same year, continued during the American Civil War further south, and was expanded to its current size of 843 acres in 1873.

It was designated a National Historic Landmark (listed by the U.S. Department of the Interior and administered by the National Park Service) in 1962. The Park was managed for decades by the New York City Department of Recreation and Parks and is currently managed by the Central Park Conservancy under contract with the municipal government in a public-private partnership. The Conservancy is a non-profit organization that contributes 75% of Central Park's $57 million annual budget and employs 80.7% of the Park's maintenance staff.

The state appointed a Central Park Commission to oversee the development of the park, and in 1857 the commission held a landscape design contest. Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux developed what came to be known as the "Greensward Plan", which was selected as the winning design. According to Olmsted, the park was "of great importance as the first real Park made in this country—a democratic development of the highest significance…", a view probably inspired by his stay and various trips in Europe during 1850 (he had visited several parks during these trips and was particularly impressed by Birkenhead Park and Derby Arboretum in England). The Greensward Plan called for some 36 bridges, all designed by Vaux, ranging from rugged spans of Manhattan schist or granite, to lacy Neo-Gothic cast iron; no two are alike. 

The ensemble of the formal line of the Mall's doubled allées of elms culminating at Bethesda Terrace, whose centerpiece is the Bethesda Fountain, with a composed view beyond of lake and woodland, was at the heart of the larger design. Execution of the Greensward Plan was the responsibility of a number of individuals, including Jacob Wrey Mould (architect), Ignaz Anton Pilat (master gardener), George E. Waring, Jr. (engineer), and Andrew Haswell Green (politician), in addition to Olmsted and Vaux.

It doesn’t matter to us whether you want desert landscaping, lush lawns or some type of landscaping in between, we can help.  We serve businesses like yours all over the Phoenix Metro Area. To find out how give us a call at 623-848-8277.

Presented by:
Greens Keeper Landscape Maintenance, LLC
623-848-8277
http://www.commerciallandscapecare.com
greenskeeperllc@cox.net

Take A Moment To Honor Veterans Day

World War I. known at the time as “The Great War”, officially ended when the Treaty of Versailles was signed on June 28, 1919, in the Palace of Versailles outside the town of Versailles, France. However, fighting ceased seven months earlier when an armistice, or temporary cessation of hostilities, between the Allied nations and Germany went into effect on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month. For that reason, November 11, 1918, is generally regarded as the end of “the war to end all wars.”

In November 1919, President Wilson proclaimed November 11 as the first commemoration of Armistice Day with the following words: "To us in America, the reflections of Armistice Day will be filled with solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in the country’s service and with gratitude for the victory, both because of the thing from which it has freed us and because of the opportunity it has given America to show her sympathy with peace and justice in the councils of the nations."

The original concept for the celebration was for a day observed with parades and public meetings and a brief suspension of business beginning at 11:00 a.m.

An Act approved May 13, 1938, made the 11th of November in each year a legal holiday, a day to be dedicated to the cause of world peace and to be thereafter celebrated and known as "Armistice Day." Armistice Day was primarily a day set aside to honor veterans of World War I, but in 1954, after World War II had required the greatest mobilization of soldiers, sailors, Marines and airmen in the Nation’s history; after American forces had fought aggression in Korea, the 83rd Congress, at the urging of the veterans service organizations, amended the Act of 1938 by striking out the word "Armistice" and inserting in its place the word "Veterans." With the approval of this legislation on June 1, 1954, November 11th became a day to honor American veterans of all wars.

Later that same year, on October 8th, President Dwight D. Eisenhower issued the first "Veterans Day Proclamation" which stated: "In order to insure proper and widespread observance of this anniversary, all veterans, all veterans' organizations, and the entire citizenry will wish to join hands in the common purpose. Toward this end, I am designating the Administrator of Veterans' Affairs as Chairman of a Veterans Day National Committee, which shall include such other persons as the Chairman may select, and which will coordinate at the national level necessary planning for the observance. I am also requesting the heads of all departments and agencies of the Executive branch of the Government to assist the National Committee in every way possible."

On that same day, President Eisenhower sent a letter to the Honorable Harvey V. Higley, Administrator of Veterans' Affairs (VA), designating him as Chairman of the Veterans Day National Committee.

In 1958, the White House advised VA's General Counsel that the 1954 designation of the VA Administrator as Chairman of the Veterans Day National Committee applied to all subsequent VA Administrators. Since March 1989 when VA was elevated to a cabinet level department, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs has served as the committee's chairman.

The Uniform Holiday Bill was signed on June 28, 1968, and was intended to ensure three-day weekends for Federal employees by celebrating four national holidays on Mondays: Washington's Birthday, Memorial Day, Veterans Day, and Columbus Day. It was thought that these extended weekends would encourage travel, recreational and cultural activities and stimulate greater industrial and commercial production. Many states did not agree with this decision and continued to celebrate the holidays on their original dates.

The first Veterans Day under the new law was observed with much confusion on October 25, 1971. It was quite apparent that the commemoration of this day was a matter of historic and patriotic significance to a great number of our citizens, and so on September 20th, 1975, President Gerald R. Ford signed Public Law 94-97, which returned the annual observance of Veterans Day to its original date of November 11, beginning in 1978. This action supported the desires of the overwhelming majority of state legislatures, all major veteran’s service organizations and the American people.

Veterans Day continues to be observed on November 11, regardless of what day of the week on which it falls. The restoration of the observance of Veterans Day to November 11 not only preserves the historical significance of the date, but helps focus attention on the important purpose of Veterans Day: A celebration to honor America's veterans for their patriotism, love of country, and willingness to serve and sacrifice for the common good.

From All Of Us At Greens Keeper Landscape Maintenance... Thank For Your Service!.

Presented by:
Greens Keeper Landscape Maintenance, LLC
623-848-8277
http://www.commerciallandscapecare.com
greenskeeperllc@cox.net

Are Weeds Ever Useful? Looking At Burdock

Don’t confuse this week’s blog with last Tuesday’s blog “Are Weeds Ever Beneficial?”.  What we are talking now is weeds that are used rather than or instead of other plants, for example in cooking.


This week we are going to look at a weed called Burdock.

No wild weed discussion would be complete without mentioning burdock. This weed lives two years, producing a 4- to 5-foot-tall flower stalk during its second summer. The flowers turn to the seed burs that give the plant its name. The burs, with their hooked tips, are said to be the inspiration for Velcro. 

Fresh burdock root is delicious in soup or stew. Prepare it as you would carrots and add it to cooked dishes. Harvest the long root in fall and spring, or in the winter if your ground doesn’t freeze and you can find the plant after its leaves have died down. Burdock is a popular herbal medicine that can help regenerate liver cells.

Actually burdock is used in Asian cooking and even served as a standalone vegetable. Burdock refers to Arctium, a genus of plants, particularly the species: Arctium lappa, or "Greater burdock", a vegetable often referred to by the Japanese name gobō.  Here we see Burdock referred to first and foremost as a vegetable. 

Many folks agree that while Burdock looks rather like a small carrot it has a quite different taste and by many is felt to be too bitter to be enjoyable. ‘=

In many parts of Asia, young burdock roots, flower stems and even very young leaves are consumed eagerly. The long thin root of the burdock is only a few centimeters wide but can reach over a meter in length are crisp and the taste is mild. They are best after thinly sliced and soaked in water to remove any bitter taste. There have been studies that the fiber of the burdock is a good aid to digestion. In the United Kingdom, it is combined with dandelion to make traditional soft drink that is quite popular today.

The burdock in appearance is sometimes confused with cockle burr or even rhubarb, both members of the same family of plants, as is the artichoke. Dark green leaves shaped like hearts or large ovals often up to twenty eight inches in length jut from the hollow stems that can reach over a yard in length. The burdock flowers from June until October, turn into green or silver buds and purple blooms. After blooming, the seeds are enclosed inside the burr, which is equipped with sharp hooks. After the burrs are dispersed, the plant dies down.

It doesn’t matter to us whether you want desert landscaping, lush lawns or some type of landscaping in between, we can help.  We serve businesses like yours all over the Phoenix Metro Area. To find out how give us a call at 623-848-8277.

Presented by:
Greens Keeper Landscape Maintenance, LLC
623-848-8277
http://www.commerciallandscapecare.com
greenskeeperllc@cox.net

Feeding Your New Winter Lawn

New Lawn Maintenance

Begin mowing the new lawn when the height of grass is 1/3 greater than the intended mowing height. Be sure that the lawn mower is sharp. A dull mower tends to pull grass seedlings out of the ground or causes leaf blade tips to be bleached or white. Try to minimize traffic on the new lawn until it is mature. Broadleaf weed control may be necessary. Do not apply broadleaf weed control to new lawns until they have been mowed two times. Begin a good, comprehensive fertilization program as outlined below. 

Turfgrass Fertilization

A well planned (and simple) fertility program is essential to turf maintenance. Turfgrass requires 16 basic nutrients for growth. Most of these are available to turf from soil, but not in proper amounts for proper growth. Turfgrass fertilizers usually have some mixture of the most abundantly needed nutrients. The ones needed in the greatest amounts are N-P-K. Sulphur as a fertilizer component is sometimes included, since it is beneficial in lowering our high pH soils. See the appropriate lawn calendars and fertilization guidelines for fertilizer rates and application dates.

Complete Fertilizer:
A complete fertilizer includes some amounts of all three of the major elements of N_P_K. It does not say how much is present (analysis or grade). It does not say in what relative amounts (ratio). Examples of complete fertilizers include (20_15_5) and 34_10_6). Note that fertilizers such as (33_0_0) or (15_0_20) are not complete, because they lack having all three elements of N_P_K.

Fast Or Slow Release
Fast release fertilizers dissolve in water quickly and can be taken up readily by the turf. Since they dissolve quickly, they can burn the turf since the fertilizers are actually salts. Slow release fertilizers are those which exhibit "slow" chemical reactions in the soil in order to make the nutrient available over a larger period of time. There are other types of slow release fertilizers which have coatings which will break down slowly, or have small pores in the fertilizer pellets which "ooze" out the fertilizer over time. New technologies for slow release fertilizers are being developed. Slow release fertilizers should be used only during active growth periods. This is during summer for warm-season grasses and the spring and fall for cool-season grasses. Do not apply a full years fertilizer requirement in one application. 

Iron containing fertilizers are beneficial in promoting good turf color, without the excess growth sometimes experienced with nitrogen containing fertilizers. Ferrous sulphate is inexpensive, but may be short-lived in our high pH western soils. Cheleated irons are more effective but more expensive and are used on high profile turfs.

Don’t worry about your commercial lawn maintenance. It doesn’t matter to us whether you want desert landscaping, lush lawns or some type of landscaping in between, we can help.  We serve businesses like yours all over the Phoenix Metro Area. To find out how give us a call at 623-848-8277.

Presented by:
Greens Keeper Landscape Maintenance, LLC
623-848-8277
http://www.commerciallandscapecare.com
greenskeeperllc@cox.net

We Really Love Our Great Customers

We want to make sure you know that we are welcoming new customers.  Do you have a commercial property that you would like to see if we can add to our regularly scheduled landscape maintenance?

We would like the opportunity to bid for your business. Let us know if you would a new competitive offer for your property maintenance please give us a call and let us show you all the ways we can help you save.

We are a service oriented family owned business specializing in commercial landscape maintenance, providing high quality care based on open communication, and the highest quality service.

We offer a full range of options for our customers by tailoring a maintenance program to the specific individual needs of each property, and budget. We will strive to keep your landscape safe and beautiful, while at the same time keeping your costs as low as possible.

We meet or exceed the highest insurance standards, with $2000000 business liability, $1000000 commercial auto, and $1000000 workman's comp. We list all our customers as additional insured at no extra charge upon request.

Our vehicles are clearly marked and our employees are in uniform for easy identification. All our employees are verified through the I-9 verification system and have successfully passed background checks.

Keep in mind that Greens Keeper Landscape Maintenance can Help!  Please contact us at; Sales: 623-848-8277 We serve businesses like yours throughout the entire Phoenix Metro Area.

Presented by:
Greens Keeper Landscape Maintenance, LLC
623-848-8277
http://www.commerciallandscapecare.com
greenskeeperllc@cox.net

Famous Gardens: In Japan

The Three Great Gardens of Japan, also known as "the three most famous gardens in Japan" are considered to include Kenroku-en in Kanazawa, Koraku-en in Okayama and Kairaku-en in Mito.

The conception of gardens in a group of three is found elsewhere; for example, in the three gardens of Emperor Go-Mizunoo who abdicated in 1629. At Shūgakui rykū, Go-Mizunoo maintained landscaped areas at separate elevations on the northeastern outskirts of Kyoto.

Kenroku-en means "garden which combines six characteristics" – the six aspects considered important in the notion of an ideal gardens: spaciousness, serenity, venerability, scenic views, subtle design, and coolness.

Koraku-en means "garden of pleasure after", which is a reference to a saying attributed to Confucius—explaining that a wise ruler must attend to his subjects' needs first, and only then should he consider his own interests.

Kairaku-en means "a garden to enjoy with people." Nariaki Tokugawa who completed the garden, opened this private garden to the general populace. This was a novel concept which eventually led to the development of public parks.

If we concetrate on just one and we will it will be;Kairaku-en "A park to be enjoyed together" is a Japanese garden located in Mito, Ibaraki, Japan. Along with Kenroku-en and Koraku-en, it is considered one of the Three Great Gardens of Japan. Kairakuen was built relatively recently in the year 1841 by the local lord Tokugawa Nariaki. Unlike Japan's other two great landscape gardens Kenrokuen and Kōrakuen, Kairakuen served not only for the enjoyment of the ruling lord, but was open to the public. 

While worth a visit throughout the year, Kairakuen is most attractive during the plum blossom season, which usually takes place in late February and March. 

Besides the plum tree forest, where one hundred different plum tree varieties with white, pink and red blossoms are planted, Kairakuen also features a bamboo grove, cedar woods and the Kobuntei, a traditional Japanese style building. While entry to the park is free, entry into the Kobuntei costs 190 yen. Tokiwa Jinja is adjacent to the gardens.

It doesn’t matter to us whether you want desert landscaping, lush lawns or some type of landscaping in between, we can help.  We serve businesses like yours all over the Phoenix Metro Area. To find out how give us a call at 623-848-8277.

Presented by:
Greens Keeper Landscape Maintenance, LLC
623-848-8277
http://www.commerciallandscapecare.com
greenskeeperllc@cox.net