Famous Parks: Englischer Garten, Munich

Or if you prefer, English Garden. This is the first public garden in Europe, believed to be the biggest city-owned park in Europe, and one of the largest urban parks in the world. In addition to some pretty awesome urban surfing, other attractions include nude sunbathing, a Japanese teahouse and gardens built on an island in the park to celebrate the 1972 Olympic Games. The teahouse was a gift from a tea school in Kyoto. Only in Japan would there be a tea school. Well, maybe England, too. There’s also the Chinesischer Turm, a pagoda inspired by London’s Great Pagoda, which has the second largest beer garden in Munich and seating for more than seven thousand people. Welcome to Germany.

With an area of 1.4 square miles the Englischer Garten is one of Europe's largest urban public parks, larger than New York's Central Park. The name refers to its English garden form of informal landscape, a style popular in Britain from the mid-18th century to the early 19th century and particularly associated with Capability Brown.

When the Elector of Bavaria Maximilian III Joseph, the last ruler from the Bavarian branch of the Wittelsbach dynasty, died childless in 1777, the land passed to the Electorate of the Palatinate archduke and elector Carl Theodor. The new ruler preferred his home on the Rhine in Mannheim and tried unsuccessfully to trade this unwanted inheritance of Bavaria for the Austrian Netherlands. Understandably the people of Munich returned his dislike. To offset this unhappy atmosphere, Carl Theodor devoted much attention to improvements in the city. Among others, he created an art gallery in the northern arcades of the Residence's Hofgarten ("Court Garden"), and made both the garden and the gallery open to the public (the former in 1780, the latter in 1781).

When the Elector of Bavaria Maximilian III Joseph, the last ruler from the Bavarian branch of the Wittelsbach dynasty, died childless in 1777, the land passed to the Electorate of the Palatinate archduke and elector Carl Theodor. The new ruler preferred his home on the Rhine in Mannheim and tried unsuccessfully to trade this unwanted inheritance of Bavaria for the Austrian Netherlands. Understandably the people of Munich returned his dislike. To offset this unhappy atmosphere, Carl Theodor devoted much attention to improvements in the city. Among others, he created an art gallery in the northern arcades of the Residence's Hofgarten ("Court Garden"), and made both the garden and the gallery open to the public (the former in 1780, the latter in 1781). The Rumford Monument in the park honours Sir Benjamin Thompson's contribution

The planned location for the Munich gardens was the area north of the Schwabinger city gate, hunting grounds of the Wittelsbach rulers since the Middle Ages. Known as the Hirschanger (or "deer enclosure"), the higher part of the grounds closer to the city was included, while the Hirschau (also meaning "deer enclosure", lower and further north, was not originally part of the plan. Nor was a more densely wooded part to the south known as the Hirschangerwald. The whole area had been subject to flooding from Munich's river, the Isar, a little to the east. This problem was soon removed by the construction of a river wall in 1790, which became known as the "Riedl-Damm" after the engineer Anton von Riedl, who had supervised its construction.

It doesn’t matter to us whether you want commercial 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

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Plant Of The Week: Jojoba Plant

Jojoba with the botanical name Simmondsia chinensis, and also known as goat nut, deer nut, pignut, wild hazel, quinine nut, coffeeberry, and gray box bush, is native to Southwestern North America. Simmondsia chinensis is the sole species of the family Simmondsiaceae, placed in the order Caryophyllales.

The plant is a native shrub of: the Sonoran Desert, Colorado Desert, and Baja California Desert; and California chaparral and woodlands habitats in the Peninsular Ranges and San Jacinto Mountains. It is found in southern California, Arizona and Utah and Baja California state (Mexico).

Simmondsia chinensis, or Jojoba, typically grows to 3.3–6.6 ft tall, with a broad, dense crown, but there have been reports of plants as tall as 9.8 ft.

The leaves are opposite, oval in shape, 0.79–1.57 in long and 0.59–1.18 in broad, thick, waxy, and glaucous gray-green in color.

The flowers are small and greenish-yellow, with 5–6 sepals and no petals. The plant typically blooms from March to May. 

Each plant is dioecious, with hermaphrodites being extremely rare. The fruit is an acorn-shaped ovoid, three-angled capsule 0.39–0.79 in long, partly enclosed at the base by the sepals. The mature seed is a hard oval that is dark brown and contains an oil (liquid wax) content of approximately 54%. An average-sized bush produces 2.2 lb of pollen, to which few humans are allergic.

Native American uses

Native Americans discovered the importance and versatility of jojoba. During the early 18th century Jesuit missionaries on the Baja California Peninsula observed indigenous peoples heating jojoba seeds to soften them. They then used a mortar and pestle to create a salve or buttery substance. The latter was applied to the skin and hair to heal and condition. The O'odham people of the Sonoran Desert treated burns with an antioxidant salve made from a paste of the jojoba nut.

Native Americans also used the salve to soften and preserve animal hides. Pregnant women ate jojoba seeds, believing they assisted during childbirth. Hunters and raiders ate jojoba on the trail to keep hunger at bay.

The Seri, who utilize nearly every edible plant in their domain, do not regard the beans as real food and in the past ate it only in emergencies.

Jojoba is grown for the liquid wax, commonly called jojoba oil, in its seeds. This oil is rare in that it is an extremely long (C36–C46) straight-chain wax ester and not a triglyceride, making jojoba and its derivative jojoba esters more similar to human sebum and whale oil than to traditional vegetable oils.

Jojoba oil is interesting for the industry because it is odorless and it has a viscosity which is temperature-independent. Applications vary from engine lubricating oil to cooking oil. Jojoba wax is used predominantly for pharmaceutical compounds, specially for skin products. After polymerization, factice can be used for rubber production.

Its use as biodiesel fuel is becoming more and more important. Jojoba oil consists of long straight monoesters of 22 to 44 carbon atoms (as opposed to most vegetable oils which consist of triglycerides), which makes it comparable to diesel in terms of energy density. The pretreatment of jojoba oil for the use of biofuel is simpler compared to that of other mineral and bio-oils and it is expected that combustion of jojoba oil leads to smaller NOx-emissions compared to diesel and does not lead to any SOx emissions.

It doesn’t matter to us whether you want commercial 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

Spring Lawn Weed Control

Here in Phoenix Arizona, the Spring lawn season and even some of the milder weather periods of our spring present great possibilities in weed control, particularly if you are interested in using recommended herbicides. 

 On your commercial property any time of year is appropriate to hand-remove weeds and for common lawn weeds such as dandelion and plantains, there are a host of tools available (commonly called ‘weed poppers’) that are extremely effective in the complete removal of ‘tap-rooted’ weeds. 

 If your staff doesn’t mind bending over or getting on their hands and knees, you can achieve the same result with a sturdy pocket or utility knife.  If they commit a few minutes a day to hand-removal, you will be surprised what an impact they can have over several days of effort. 

 We fully understand that time is money. Hand removal is the most environmentally friendly, however, hand-removal of creeping weeds with fibrous root systems is often very limited in success and can be quite frustrating in terms of the effort expended and the limited level of control.   Especially in these cases, herbicides are often the most effective and cost effective method(s) for winter weed control.

 What can or should be done about summer annual or perennial weeds during the Arizona spring? The basic answer is ‘very little to nothing’.  These weeds  have either just completed their life cycle and will die upon first frost  (the annuals, things like crabgrass, foxtail, or spurge) or they have begun to enter their winter dormancy period (weeds like dallisgrass, wiregrass.  Other than mechanically removing them, there is no point in trying to control them during their spring lifecycle with selective herbicides.

 Rather than having to worry about your spring weeds and look of your commercial property you can let Greens Keeper Landscape Maintenance do all the work for you and take the burden off your shoulders all together.  Give us a call at 623-848-8277 and let’s talk about it.

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

Is Spring Time The Best Time To De-Thatch

Certain grasses tend to form thicker thatch layers. Creeping turf types that spread by above- and underground stems often rapidly form thatch; this includes St. Augustinegrass, Bermudagrass and zoysiagrass. Cool-season grasses, such as bentgrass and aggressive Kentucky bluegrass varieties, also can quickly form thatch, especially if soil is compacted and turf hasn’t been properly fertilized for a few years.

If you use a mulching mower and leave grass clippings on the lawn, that does not lead to thatch formation. Those are healthy practices that can help prevent thatch formation. Typically grass clippings decompose readily. Thatch arises from grass stems and roots in the top inches of soil that die and don’t fully decompose.

The process of de-thatching is hard on turf, so the ideal time to tackle this chore is right before grass enters its period of strongest growth. Because warm- and cool-season grasses grow most vigorously at different times during the year, the ideal time for de-thatching also varies. It’s vital to know what kind of grass comprises your lawn before you de-thatch.

Warm-Season Turf
In regions of the state that experience frost and snow, de-thatch warm-season grasses in late spring to early summer – well before heat arrives and the lawn’s water needs are high. In the warmest and driest regions, including the desert area and mid level grasses, de-thatch warm-season grass in early spring, but be sure to wait until grass is actively growing. This means you should have mowed it once or twice.

Many people think that the late fall time frame can combine leaf clean-up and de-thatching as part of that process. The extra stress caused by the de-thatching can lead to ground cover loss for several weeks and the winter lawns having a delayed start.

Rather than having to worry about the lawn and look of your commercial property you can let Greens Keeper Landscape Maintenance do all the work for you and take the burden off your shoulders all together.  Give us a call at 623-848-8277 and let’s talk about it.

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

You Need Greens Keeper Commercial Landscape Maintenance

Greens Keeper Landscape Maintenance, LLC. is a service oriented family owned business specializing in commercial landscape maintenance in the Phoenix Metro area.

Greens Keeper Landscape Maintenance has been maintaining commercial properties in the Valley of the Sun, here in Arizona, to the highest level. We have many years of experience here in the valley caring for plants in our desert climate and in commercial property landscapes.  

We are always a reliable source for all of your property maintenance needs. We employ a well educated, fully trained and experienced staff who can attend to all of your needs in a knowledgeable and professional manner. 

Our services include all facets of Property Management. We cover property maintenance to customized lawn treatment programs, tree & shrub diagnostics and care, annual color programs, enhancements, Irrigation System management, We can help with your Holiday and Event Decorating. Greens Keeper Landscape Maintenance has a full time staff to fulfill any and all of your needs twelve  months a year! 

We are certified, licensed and insured to meet all local requirements and regulations. Contact our award winning company to schedule a commercial property consultation today. 

We will design and develop a custom program for your specific property and budget needs. You can be on your way to improving your property’s appearance and value with our guidance and expertise.

Greens Keeper Landscape Maintenance, LLC, features first class customer service, providing unmatched value, superior products, our extensive local experience and unquestionable reliability.

All of our vehicles are clearly marked and all of our employees are in uniform for easy identification. Many of the small unexpected things that other companies charge for, are included in our everyday service.

Or you can let Greens Keeper Landscape Maintenance do all the work for you and take the burden off your shoulders all together.  Give us a call at 623-848-8277 and let’s talk about it.

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

Famous Parks: Yarkon Park, Tel Aviv, Israel

Yarkon Park is the largest park in Tel Aviv, Israel, with about sixteen million visits annually. Bounded by Rokach Boulevard on the north and Bavli on the south, the park includes extensive lawns, sports facilities, botanical gardens, an aviary, a water park, two outdoor concert venues and lakes.

Planning of the park began in 1969. When it was opened to the public in 1973, it was called Ganei Yehoshua, honoring Yehoshua Rabinovich, the mayor of Tel Aviv between 1969-1974

The park has six gardens: Gan HaBanim (Fallen Soldiers Memorial Garden), Gan Nifga'ei HaTeror (Terror Victims Memorial Garden), Gan HaSlaim (Rock Garden), Gan HaKaktusim (Cactus Garden), Gan HaGazum (Trimmed Garden), and Gan HaTropi (Tropical Garden).

The Rock Garden, one of the largest of its kind in the world, reflects Israel's geological diversity. In its 10-acre enclosure the rocks are interspersed with some 3,500 species of plants, including over six acres of cacti. The five-acre Tropical Garden has a wooden walkway shaded by palm trees leading to a small lake. The rainforest-like microclimate is supports a large variety of orchids and vines.

The Yarkon River runs through the park and reaches the Mediterranean Sea at the park's western edge, then connects into the Tel Aviv Port, an entertainment and tourism center. Despite clean-up efforts in the last few years, the river is still polluted. Despite its polluted waters, on July 2011 Tel Aviv's mayor, Ron Huldai, jumped into the water and swam in the lake. Nevertheless, the region has retained its biodiversity. It is home to an abundance of insects, water fowl, jackals, porcupines and mongoose.

The park has been the venue for musical acts such as Michael Jackson, Paul McCartney, Tina Turner, Elton John, Madonna, David Bowie, The Rolling Stones, Bon Jovi, Aerosmith, Metallica, U2, Depeche Mode, Guns N' Roses, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Linkin Park, Ozzy Osbourne, Joe Cocker, Eurythmics, Westlife, Five, Justin Timberlake, Robbie Williams, Rihanna, One Republic, Lady Gaga and Justin Bieber.

Italian opera house La Scala performed a free outdoor concert of Verdi's Requiem in the park as a part of Tel Aviv's 100th anniversary celebrations, attracting about 100,000 people.
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\It doesn’t matter to us whether you want commercial 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: Dancing Plant

Codariocalyx motorius (though often placed in Desmodium), known as the telegraph plant or semaphore plant, is a tropical Asian shrub, one of a few plants capable of rapid movement; others include Mimosa pudica and the venus flytrap.

It is widely distributed throughout Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam. It can even be found on the Society Islands, a remote chain of islands in the South Pacific. It produces small, purple flowers. This plant is famous for its movement of small, lateral leaflets at speeds rapid enough to be perceivable with the naked eye. This is possibly a strategy to maximize light by tracking the sun[citation needed]. Each leaf is equipped with a hinge that permits it to be moved to receive more sunlight, but the weight of these leaves means the plant must expend a lot of energy in moving it. To optimize its movement, each large leaf has two small leaflets at its base. These move constantly along an elliptical path, sampling the intensity of sunlight, and directing the large leaf to the area of most intensity. Another hypothesis has been offered that the rapid movements are intended to deter potential predators.

The common name is due to the rotation of the leaflets with a period of about three to five minutes; this was likened to a semaphore telegraph, a structure with adjustable paddles that could be seen from a distance, the position of which conveyed a message in semaphore, hence the common names.

The Tamils call this plant ThozhukaNNi (Tamil). The plant is known as Praanajeewa - in Sri Lanka, due to its movements resembling that there is a life within the plant.

The plant is described in detail in Charles Darwin's 1880 The Power of Movement in Plants.

Legend

Once upon a time, there was a beautiful Dai girl named Duoyi. She loves dancing very much and dances skillfully. In gaps between the farming periods, she often tour around villages of different ethnic groups to perform for the poor. She was later known for her masterful performance. However, sometime later a bad leader came and robbed Duoyi and forced her to dance for him only. Duoyi didn’t follow and she escaped and suicide by drowning. People from the village then salvaged her body and held a funeral. Over the time, some beautiful grasses were grown from Duoyi’s grave, and they ‘dance’ whenever music starts. From then, people called this plant as ‘Dancing-grass’, and they believes the grasses are the incarnation of Duoyi.

It doesn’t matter to us whether you want commercial 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

Water Features Make Your Commercial Property Standout

Enhanced landscaping improves commercial property value, and water features make your property stand out from the rest.  A waterfall in the front of your property makes a very nice inviting theme. It also provides curb appeal, more on property water features increases the value and makes rentals more likely.

The sight and sound of a water feature will mitigate noise from traffic or surrounding area. In addition, water features provide an interesting backdrop for entertaining while adding aesthetic appeal to your landscape.

Waterfront property is a prized commodity and you can easily incorporate water into your outdoor living spaces without having to support a lake.

You can add a meandering stream than runs though out your property even if it needs to be done with hidden pumps and breaks in the flow that are hidden by rocks and bridges.

Large and small fountains can become focal points that become icons for your property or even the basis for the name that is easy to remember and quickly recall.

Water features provide soothing sights and sounds that help your tenants relax and de-stress in today’s busy world.  They can lower blood pressure and improve physical and mental health as they prop their feet up and enjoy the therapeutic effects of Mother Nature.

You can also use water features to lower the air temperature of areas that will become an oasis for lounging, swimming or cook-outs. 

So consider fountains, waterfalls, streams, small ponds and the power of water features as part of your commercial properties’ normal landscaping.

It doesn’t matter to Greens Keeper Landscaping whether you have lush lawns with water features, 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

Time To Think Fertilizing For Your Commercial Property

Fertilizing
Regular fertilizing is essential for proper growth and good color during the growing season. However, an over fertilized lawn will require more water and more frequent mowing. Do not fertilize more frequently than once a month, and follow the directions on the manufacturer's products.

Fertilizing Tips
The best time to apply fertilizer is in the evening or early morning. Make sure to water the lawn thoroughly after fertilizing it. Additionally, consider applying ferrous sulfate or iron chelates.

This will keep grass green without promoting excess growth. Use caution when applying near sidewalks, pool decks or patios, as iron can stain these areas. The application of soil sulfur twice per year has been shown to be beneficial. Applying too much fertilizer or applying too often is unhealthy for your grass and the environment.

Instead of scheduling according to the calendar, look for signs that indicate the condition of your lawn (yellowing or off-color). Or just plan to apply your fertilizer on the three day weekends during the summer.

Testing
You can have soil samples tested to make sure you add the correct and needed nutrients for your lawn’s individual needs.  Taking samples at a depth of four inches will give the proper reading for most lawns.

At Greens Keeper Landscape we want you to know how to take care of your property.  If you don’t want the headache of landscape maintenance we take care of your landscape for you. 

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

Let Us Refresh Your Landscaping Maintenance

We are into a full spring mode here in the Phoenix Metro area.  Taking care of your green space now will lead to a much better lawn for this coming summer.  Both cleaning up the area and prepping the area is something we can help with.  Let us tell you a bit about our company and services.

Greens Keeper Landscape Maintenance, LLC. is a service oriented family owned business specializing in commercial landscape maintenance in the Phoenix Metro area.

Greens Keeper Landscape Maintenance has been maintaining commercial properties in the Valley of the Sun, here in Arizona, to the highest level. We have many years of experience here in the valley caring for plants in our desert climate and in commercial property landscapes.  

We are always a reliable source for all of your property maintenance needs. We employ a well educated, fully trained and experienced staff who can attend to all of your needs in a knowledgeable and professional manner. 

Our services include all facets of Property Management. We cover property maintenance to customized lawn treatment programs, tree & shrub diagnostics and care, annual color programs, enhancements, Irrigation System management, We can help with your Holiday and Event Decorating. Greens Keeper Landscape Maintenance has a full time staff to fulfill any and all of your needs twelve  months a year! 

We are certified, licensed and insured to meet all local requirements and regulations. Contact our award winning company to schedule a commercial property consultation today. 

We will design and develop a custom program for your specific property and budget needs. You can be on your way to improving your property’s appearance and value with our guidance and expertise.

Greens Keeper Landscape Maintenance, LLC, features first class customer service, providing unmatched value, superior products, our extensive local experience and unquestionable reliability.

All of our vehicles are clearly marked and all of our employees are in uniform for easy identification. Many of the small unexpected things that other companies charge for, are included in our everyday service.

Or you can let Greens Keeper Landscape Maintenance do all the work for you and take the burden off your shoulders all together.  Give us a call at 623-848-8277 and let’s talk about it.

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

greenskeeperllc@cox.net

Famous Parks: Washington Square Park, New York City

Washington Square Park is a 9.75-acre public park in the Greenwich Village neighborhood of Lower Manhattan, New York City. One of the best known of New York City's 1,900 public parks, it is a landmark as well as a meeting place and center for cultural activity. It is operated by the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation.

The Park is an open space, dominated by the Washington Square Arch at the northern gateway to the park, with a tradition of celebrating nonconformity. The Park's fountain area has long been one of the city's popular spots for residents and tourists. Most of the buildings surrounding the park now belong to New York University, but many have at one time served as homes and studios for artists. Some of the buildings have been built by NYU while others have been converted from their former uses into academic and residential buildings.

Located at the foot of Fifth Avenue, the park is bordered by Washington Square North (Waverly Place east and west of the park), Washington Square East (University Place north of the park), Washington Square South (West 4th Street east and west of the park), and Washington Square West (MacDougal Street north and south of the park).

While the park contains many flower beds and trees, little of the park is used for plantings due to the paving. The two prominent features are the Washington Square Arch and a large fountain. It includes children's play areas, trees and gardens, paths to stroll on, a chess and scrabble playing area, park benches, picnic tables, commemorative statuary and two dog runs.
Giuseppe Garibaldi

Those commemorated by statues and monuments include George Washington; Italian patriot and soldier Giuseppe Garibaldi, commander of the insurrectionist forces in Italy's struggle for unification, and one to Alexander Lyman Holley, a talented engineer who helped start the American steel industry after the invention of the Bessemer process for mass-producing steel.

The New York City Police Department operates security cameras in the park. The New York University Department of Public Safety also keeps a watch on the park, and the city parks department has security officers who sometimes patrol the park. The area has a low crime rate in the "safest big city in the United States.

The land was once divided by a narrow marshy valley through which Minetta Creek (or Brook) ran. In the early 17th century, a Native American village known as Sapokanican or "Tobacco Field" was nearby. By the mid-17th century, the land on each side of the Minetta was used as farm land by the Dutch. The Dutch gave the land to slaves, thus freeing them, with the intention of using them as a buffer zone to hostile Native Americans outside the settlement. The slaves that received the land were told that, although they were no longer slaves, they had to give a portion of the profits they received from the land to the Dutch West India Company. Also, their children would be born as slave, rather than free. The tract was in the possession of African Americans from 1643 to 1664. Today, the area, then called "The Land of the Blacks," is Washington Square Park. The ex-slaves who owned "The Land of the Blacks" included Paulo D'angola. More information can be found at the exhibit "Slavery in New York" at the New-York Historical Society of Manhattan.

It remained farmland until April 1797, when the Common Council of New York purchased the fields to the east of the Minetta (which were not yet within city limits) for a new potter's field, or public burial ground. It was used mainly for burying unknown or indigent people when they died. But when New York (which did not include this area yet) went through yellow fever epidemics in the early 19th century, most of those who died from yellow fever were also buried here, safely away from town, as a hygienic measure.

It doesn’t matter to us whether you want commercial 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: Resurrection Plant

The Resurrection Plant is one of over 700 species in the Selaginella genus of plants. All of them are primitive plants, fitting somewhere between mosses and ferns in the hierarchy of plant evolution. They belong to a group of plants known as the lycopods, whose members go by the common names of ground pines and club mosses. All are relatively small (up to one foot tall) and are found around the world, usually in moist locations with mosses and ferns. They reproduce by single-celled spores, and lack flowers, fruits and seeds. Even their "leaves" are not really leaves, but instead leaf-like extensions of the stem. What lycopods consist of then are roots, stems with scales, and club-like strobili that produce spores.

Selaginella lepidophylla (syn. Lycopodium lepidophyllum) is a species of desert plant in the spikemoss family (Selaginellaceae). S. lepidophylla is noted for its ability to survive almost complete desiccation; during dry weather in its native habitat, its stems curl into a tight ball and uncurl only when exposed to moisture. The outer stems of Selaginella lepidophylla bend into circular rings in a relatively short period of desiccation, whereas inner stems curl slowly into spirals due to the hydro-actuated strain gradient along their length.  It is native to the Chihuahuan Desert.

Common names for this plant include flower of stone, false rose of Jericho, rose of Jericho, resurrection plant, resurrection moss, dinosaur plant, siempre viva, stone flower, and doradilla.

Selaginella lepidophylla is easily confused with Anastatica both species are resurrection plants and form tumbleweeds, and they share the common name "rose of Jericho".

This plant is sold as a novelty item as a bare root in its dry state. It can be revived with only a little water. After wetting, the plant turns green, hence the name "resurrection plant". The ability of the plant to survive extreme desiccation was noted by Spanish missionaries when they reached the New World, including the area that was to become the United States. The missionaries used the plant to demonstrate to potential native converts the concept of being reborn.

This plant has been used as a herbal medicine. An infusion (tea) is made by steeping a tablespoon of dried material in hot water and the tea is used as an antimicrobial in cases of colds and sore throat. Common names for this in Spanish include doradilla (little golden one) and flor de piedra (stone flower).

It doesn’t matter to us whether you want commercial 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

Tips To Save Water On Your Commercial Property

Your Green Space

Hire a qualified pro to install your irrigation system and keep it working properly and efficiently.

Hire a professional landscaper who has received landscape training specific to the Sonoran Desert.

Adjust your lawn mower to the height of 1.5 to 2 inches. Taller grass shades roots and holds soil moisture better than short grass.

Leave lawn clippings on your grass, this cools the ground and holds in moisture.

If installing a lawn, select a lawn mix or blend that matches your climate and site conditions.    #86

Aerate your lawn periodically. Holes every six inches will allow water to reach the roots, rather than run off the surface.

If walking across the lawn leaves footprints (blades don’t spring back up), then it is time to water.

Let your lawn go dormant (brown) during the winter. Dormant grass only needs to be watered every three to four weeks, less if it rains.

Avoid overseeding your lawn with winter grass. Ryegrass needs water every few days, whereas Dormant Bermuda grass needs water monthly.

Remember to weed your lawn and garden regularly. Weeds compete with other plants for nutrients, light and water.

While fertilizers promote plant growth, they also increase water consumption. Apply the minimum amount of fertilizer needed.

Water your summer lawns once every three days and your winter lawn once every five days.

Catch water in an empty tuna can to measure sprinkler output. 3/4 to 1 inch of water is enough to apply each time you irrigate.

Your Pool

Use a pool cover to help keep your pool clean, reduce chemical use and prevent water loss through evaporation.

Make sure your swimming pools, fountains and ponds are equipped with recirculating pumps.

If you have an automatic refilling device, check your pool periodically for leaks.

When back-washing your pool, consider using the water on salt-tolerant plants in the landscape.

Minimize or eliminate the use of waterfalls and sprays in your pool. Aeration increases evaporation.

Don’t overfill the pool. Lower water levels will reduce water loss due to splashing.

Keep water in the pool when playing, it will save water.
Trickling or cascading fountains lose less water to evaporation than those that spray water into the air.

Use a grease pencil to conduct a bucket test to check for pool leaks. An unnatural water level drop may indicate a leak.

It doesn’t matter to us whether you want commercial 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

Getting Your Commercial Property Ready For Summer

Commercial property managers have spent quality time this spring planning for summer making sure their sites display the right first impression to visitors and the best, most consistent professional image for employees and tenants throughout our sunny spring and summer months.

But the coming summer temperatures and activities can certainly take a toll on commercial landscapes. 

In fact, as another Valley of the Sun spring gets into full swing with temperatures beginning to climb to the triple digits, preparing these landscape elements now for the seasons ahead can help them return healthy come summertime and can also present a neat, tidy, well-tended landscape in the meantime.

The correct hardscape planning is a perfect springtime task that can resurrect stale property areas, making them more updated and useful. From stonework to retaining walls to permeable pavers that can provide a property with a boost in LEED, or Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design, points, the options are endless.

Spring is not only a great time to prune and maintain trees and shrubs so dead wood is removed and they are prepared for summer, but it's also a great time to transplant trees and shrubs, moving them to more picturesque and ideal growing locations.

We can also advise commercial property managers on how to adjust their watering schedules for this time of year to ensure plants and lawns receive the right amount of moisture to carry them through the season.

Greens Keeper Landscape Maintenance, LLC is one of the most trusted commercial landscape maintenance companies in the Phoenix Metro Area. We are the choice of many property owners and managers because of our lengthy experience in the field of landscape maintenance. We have highly skilled crews who can perform all kinds of landscape maintenance tasks.

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. If there are minor sprinkler repairs that are needed, most of them are also included (no charge). We accomplish this by providing an allowance for sprinkler heads, drip emitters, shrub heads, and repairs to lateral lines and drip lines. The only sprinkler issues that we would have to charge for would be main line repairs, valves & timers. And we always get these pre approved by our customers.

It doesn’t matter to us whether you want commercial 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 Can Be Your Commercial Landscape Maintenance Company!

We are a service oriented family owned business specializing in commercial landscape maintenance.

While our normal hours of operations are from 6:00 AM to 2:00 PM we offer 24/7 service and Storm Damage Clean-up as needed by our customers.

We keep our overhead low and pass the savings on to our customers. We provide high quality service and pride ourselves on our open communication practices.

Our hourly rate is $26 per hour. Our special project rate, including sprinkler repairs, is $30. We offer convenient payment terms of 2/10 net 30.

All of our vehicles are clearly marked and all of our employees are in uniform for easy identification. Many of the small unexpected things that other companies charge for, we include.

If there are minor sprinkler repairs that are needed, most of them are also included (no charge). We accomplish this by providing an allowance for sprinkler heads, drip emitters, shrub heads, and repairs to lateral lines and drip lines. The only sprinkler issues that we would have to charge for would be main line repairs, valves & timers. And we always get these pre approved by our customers.

Unlike other companies we don't mark-up inventory, whenever possible. Another one of our popular services is safety and visibility trimming at no extra charge. This means that if you have things we think could be a liability on your property related to the landscape, we will communicate with you and work together to resolve these issues before they cause an accident or damage vehicles or buildings. If there is vegetation blocking the view of signs or safe passage in and out of the parking lot, trees blocking safety lighting, we will keep those items at their smallest manageable size (no charge).

We don't charge anything for the installation of winter lawns. This means you do not pay anything for scalping and removal of summer lawn, sprinkler tune up, and top dressing where needed. And the seed is provided at the market price. We also offer a full range of tree trimming options for our customers including emergency storm damage clean up and tree removal. Lawn fertilizer is done quarterly for the price of fertilizer only.

We will strive to keep your landscape safe, clean and beautiful. At the same time keeping your costs as low as possible.

We meet or exceed the highest insurance standards, with $2,000,000 business liability, $1,000,000 commercial auto, and $1,000,000 workman's comp. And we can list you (the customer) as additional insured at no extra charge.

We can Help!  Please contact us at; Sales: 623-848-8277  We serve the entire Phoenix Metro Area.

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

Famous Parks: Stanley Park Vancouver

Stanley Park is a 1,001-acre public park that borders the downtown of Vancouver in British Columbia, Canada and is almost entirely surrounded by waters of Vancouver Harbour and English Bay.

The park has a long history and was one of the first areas to be explored in the city. The land was originally used by indigenous peoples for thousands of years before British Columbia was colonized by the British during the 1858 Fraser Canyon Gold Rush. For many years after colonization, the future park with its abundant resources would also be home to nonaboriginal settlers. The land was later turned into Vancouver's first park when the city incorporated in 1886. It was named after Lord Stanley, a British politician who had recently been appointed governor general.

Unlike other large urban parks, Stanley Park is not the creation of a landscape architect, but rather the evolution of a forest and urban space over many years. Most of the manmade structures we see today were built between 1911 and 1937 under the influence of then superintendent W.S. Rawlings. Additional attractions, such as a polar bear exhibit, aquarium, and miniature train, were added in the post-war period.

Much of the park remains as densely forested as it was in the late 1800s, with about a half million trees, some of which stand as tall as 249 ft and are up to hundreds of years old. Thousands of trees were lost (and many replanted) after three major windstorms that took place in the past 100 years, the last in 2006.

Significant effort was put into constructing the near-century-old Vancouver Seawall, which can draw thousands of residents and visitors to the park every day. The park also features forest trails, beaches, lakes, children's play areas, and the Vancouver Aquarium, among many other attractions.

Archaeological evidence suggests a human presence in the park dating back more than 3,000 years. The area is the traditional territory of different coastal indigenous peoples. From the Burrard Inlet and Howe Sound regions, Squamish Nation had a large village in the park. From the lower Fraser River area, Musqueam Nation used its natural resources.

Where Lumberman's Arch is now, there once was a large village called Whoi Whoi, or Xwayxway, roughly meaning place of masks. One longhouse, built from cedar poles and slabs, was measured at 200 feet long by 60 feet wide. These houses were occupied by large extended families living in different quadrants of the house. The larger houses were used for ceremonial potlatchs where a host would invite guests to witness and participate in ceremonies and the giving away of property.

Another settlement was further west along the same shore. This place was called Chaythoos, meaning high bank. The site of Chaythoos is noted on a brass plaque placed on the lowlands east of Prospect Point commemorating the park's centennial.

Both sites were occupied in 1888, when some residents were forcefully removed to allow a road to be constructed around the park, and their midden was used for construction material.

The popular landmark Siwash Rock, located near present-day Third Beach, was once called Slahkayulsh meaning he is standing up. In the oral history, a fisherman was transformed into this rock by three powerful brothers as punishment for his immorality.

In 2010, the chief of the Squamish Nation proposed renaming Stanley Park as Xwayxway Park after the large village once located in the area.

It doesn’t matter to us whether you want commercial 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: Sturt's Desert Pea

Swainsona formosa or  Sturt's Desert Pea, is an Australian plant in the genus Swainsona, named after English botanist Isaac Swainson, famous for its distinctive blood-red leaf-like flowers, each with a bulbous black center, or "boss". It is one of Australia's best known wildflowers. It is native to the arid regions of central and north-western Australia, and its range extends into all mainland Australian states with the exception of Victoria.

Sturt's Desert Pea is a member of Fabaceae, subfamily Faboideae. It has pinnate, grey-green leaves which are arranged spirally on the main axis of the plant, and in two opposite rows (distichous) on lateral stems. Its flowers are so different from its relatives that it is almost unrecognizable as a member of the pea family. The flowers are about 3,5 inches in length and grow in clusters of around half a dozen on thick vertical stalks (peduncles), which spring up every 4 to 6 inches along the prostrate stems in a bright red, which may be up to 6 feet  in length. The sexual organs, enclosed by the keel, comprise 10 stamens, of which 9 are joined and 1 is free, and an ovary topped by a style upon which is located the stigma which receives pollen during fertilization.

The plant flowers from spring to summer, particularly after rain. There is a natural pure white form, as well as hybridized varieties which can have flowers ranging from blood scarlet, to pink and even pale cream, with variously colored central bosses. Several tricolor variants have been recorded, including the cultivars marginata (white keel with red margin, red flag and purple-black boss), tricolor (white keel, red flag, pink boss), and elegans (white flag and keel, both with red margins). Flowers are bird-pollinated in the wild.

The fruit is a legume, several inches long, and each yields 50 or more flat, kidney-shaped seeds at maturity

Most forms of the plant are low-growing or prostrate, however in the Pilbara region of north-western Australia varieties growing as tall as 6 feet have been observed.

Specimens of Sturt's desert pea were first collected by William Dampier who recorded his first sighting on 22 August 1699.[citation needed] These specimens are today in the Fielding-Druce Herbarium at Oxford University in England.

The taxonomy of Sturt's desert pea has been changed on a number of occasions. It was initially treated in the 18th century in the genus Clianthus as Clianthus dampieri, and later became more widely known as Clianthus formosus (formosus is Latin for "beautiful"). However it was later reclassified under the genus Swainsona as Swainsona formosa, the name by which it is officially known today.

A further reclassification to Willdampia formosa was proposed in the publication Western Australian Naturalist in 1999; however this proposal was rejected by the scientific community in 2000.

The common name honors Charles Sturt, who recorded seeing large quantities of the flowers while exploring central Australia in 1844; the second version of the scientific name honors the naturalist Isaac Swainson, and the third (rejected) version of the scientific name was intended to honor the explorer William Dampier.

It doesn’t matter to us whether you want commercial 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

Phoenix and Tucson Agree To Share Water

A recent agreement by this city and Tucson, Ariz., highlights a growing trend in the drought-plagued Southwest: water agencies sharing resources to stretch limited supplies rather than going it alone.

Phoenix, which gets more water than it can store from the Colorado River, has agreed to send some of its surplus to Tucson, which needs it to lower pumping costs. In return, Tucson will give up part of its share of Colorado River water to Phoenix when needed. The deal finalized in early October comes despite long-standing rivalries between Arizona’s two largest cities.

“Any rivalry between Phoenix and Tucson is so 10 years ago,” Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton said in an interview.

Water transfers between agencies have been picking up across the West in the wake of a drought that has ravaged the region for much of the past 15 years. During Texas’ severe drought in 2011, more than 1.7 million acre feet of water were transferred between users, compared with an average of 150,000 annually between 2007 and 2009, according to a 2012 report by the Western Governors Association and Western States Water Council. An acre foot is 326,000 gallons, or about the amount of water used by a family of four in a year.

In August, the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California agreed to send treated water to Sierra Madre, Calif., as part of a deal with the Upper San Gabriel Valley Municipal Water District to ease that city’s water shortage. Metropolitan, based in Los Angeles, will get repaid double what it sent in untreated water, as well as the right to buy water from the smaller agency though 2035.

“This is ushering in an era of cooperation where, typically in the past, each player has watched out and protected its own rights,” said Dave White, co-director of the Decision Center for a Desert City at Arizona State University in Tempe, Ariz. 

Program Description: Phoenix and Tucson have entered an agreement for Phoenix to store its excess Colorado River water in Tucson. The agreement is of mutual benefit to both cities. Arizona State University associate professor Dave White, who heads the Decision Center for a Desert City and studies water management decisions, will discuss the agreement.

It doesn’t matter to us whether you want commercial 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