Here are some videos to help you keep your children inform and hopefully motivate them to conserve more water. Enjoy the videos

Kids water conservation song—very cute!

The water conservation rap

Frisco’s Dr. Drip water conservation Video

Frisco is leading the way with it’s efforts to conserve water. Here are some helpful links to help you get the most out of the information they provide. For the most part the weather in Frisco isn’t much different then in Dallas County. You can use their weekly recommendations to adjust your watering. Please note to follow your town’s ordinances and your amount of rain fall.

Weekly watering advice

How much to water

Free moisture meter (Frisco residents only)

Sign up to receive your weekly watering info e-mailed (doesn’t specify if you have to be a resident)

Smart controller program and $100 dollar rebate

Approved Smart Controller List

PDF retrofit controller application form

Programs and rebates

Waterwise kits

Free shower heads (Frisco residents only)–Most municipalities offer these. Check your service provider for details.

Free irrigation check ups

Info and games for children

Is that flower talking to you

Word search

Animated fish tank game

Water sense for kids

Test your Water sense game

Work shops

Stone Borders Dallas: Chop Stone

by Maria Bargellini President of Dallas Curb Appeal

Stone borders can make a great addition to any landscape. It can make a blah landscape look much more substantial and defined. There are many ways to add a stone border to your landscape, your only limits are your budget and imagination. Stone borders can be any shape, with the average installation being a curving pattern typically used for planting beds. Modern designs tend to use more straight lines creating a more formal or stark look. If basic isn’t want you’re look for than you’ll love the more intricate designs featuring details such as multilevel walls, additional secondary walls for elevation changes, a mixture of stone material, accent stones, etc.

Chop stone: This material can be found in a large variety of natural colors from white to even purple. From the common Oklahoma to the harder to get Pennsylvania blue stone. Most clients opt to use a stone that most closely matches their home’s color or stone type while others opt to use a contrasting stone color. Such as a white house with a Silvermist  border (grey-grey-blue color). You can even paint your shutters or doors to match the accent color of the stone as well.

The Chop stone border: This stone is typically 4-6″ thick. Thicker stone materials or slabs can be used and is typically cut to size for the installation. (Note: anything under 4″ is considered to be a tripping hazard by most municipal codes) It is primary sold by ton in varying lengths but can be cut to equal shapes if you desire. Keep in mind that an installation of equally cut stones wills require additional labor as well as more material. In my opinion only people who are in the business will notice right away while the typical house guest will not notice whether they are of equal size or not.

The Base: The base is everything. A strong base enforces the integrity of the stone border. The chop stone is typically  mortared to a 4″ thick re-bar reinforced cement base for a 1 layer chop stone border. A taller wall will require a thicker or deeper base. The average wall is 1-2 layers. Anything taller is considered a small retaining wall. The average retaining wall height ranges from about 18 inches to 4 feet tall. In most municipalities walls over 3-4 feet requires an engineers approval before the stone wall can be installed. This is for the benefit of homeowners to ensure that the wall is strong enough to stand the tough Texas weather. If you take a look around town you’ll notice that the older walls, built before all the regulations, are crumbling, cracking, sliding, or just plain falling apart.

Drainage: All walls no matter how big, small, short or long will have to have any drainage conditions addressed. Each property it’s own drainage conditions and a plan to combat any drainage issues that may exist. Not doing so can result in flooding of the flower beds and rotting out of the grass in front of the wall.

Stone Borders are an attractive way of spicing up your landscape and making that tired old landscape look new again. If you would like more information on this subject or any other on this blog feel free to leave your questions or comments on this blog or contact us directly at 214-257-8155.

Dallas Curb Appeal (DCA) is a full service Dallas Landscape Contractor. DCA also owns and operates DFW Christmas Lights.com and The OutDoor Lighting Expert.com.

Landscape ideas: How to Create Your Perfect Backyard

There are many variables that factor into your decision when buying a home. Location, price, and square footage are all important considerations and you may find that your otherwise perfect home has an unkempt yard that needs landscaping. Fortunately, creating your perfect backyard yourself is easier than you might think. You can actually do most of the work yourself, which saves quite a bit of money.

Before you start landscaping, there are a few things you should consider. Think about the primary uses of your backyard. Will you be using it for entertaining guests, as a play area for the children, or to practice some of your hobbies? Consider the size of the yard, your landscaping budget, and the way you plan to use the yard. Thinking about these factors will aid you throughout the process.

While considering the future uses of your backyard, keep in mind that you won’t be the only one using it. It’s much more efficient to create a backyard setting that can be enjoyed by the whole family rather than something that will only be used sparingly or only by one member of the family.

The next step is to look at what you already have in your backyard versus your final vision of the perfect yard. Whatever your intentions, it’s always good to consider including an area to provide shade from the sun and shelter from bad weather as well as a place where you can’t be disturbed by the neighbors.

Accounting for Water Drainage

One thing to consider when landscaping is the way the water drains from your yard. While you can change your yard, you can’t change the weather, so it’s best to arrange the former to agree with the latter. Here are a couple of things to think about:

• Is there a drainage pattern? Does the whole yard stay wet after a rain or do some areas dry off more quickly than others?
• Are there any spots that collect water in a pool but later become dry in the sunlight?

Accounting For Space

Always consider the total amount of space you have available when designing your yard. A yard with a patio and large trees would require a fairly big yard. Sketching out your design helps tremendously in determining what exactly you can do with the yard.

Create a Plan

First you’ll need to determine what you’ll be using the yard for, since it’s easiest to center your ideas on that concept. Make a list of the things you want to include, ensuring that you have enough space for them; some common yard additions include:

• Patios
• Barbecues
• Play areas
• Pools
• Swing sets or playhouses

Dividing it Up

Designing a yard isn’t as simple as just placing the different sections next to each other. You must account for barricades, entrances, exits, and paths. Remember to include the following in your design if you plan on using them:

• Fences or retaining walls
• Steps for areas of different elevation
• Seating and other furniture, such as furniture storage benches
• Gates
• Doorways

Once you have the basic layout of the yard intact, you can fill in the empty spaces with the desired vegetation.

Creating a Sketch

It isn’t enough to simply sketch out yard; it’s important to make sure that everything is to scale so that you’re getting an accurate picture. Use graph paper; each block represents one square foot. Sketch out trees and plants according to their maximum growth potential. Make sure that your fences are drawn to scale, and keep in mind that most yards aren’t actually symmetrical.

You want to be as detailed and specific as possible with this sketch, from the location of major elements such as a pool to minor things such as mulch or gravel. At this point you also want to specify any plans to block a particular view with a fence or vegetation.

Utilities and Water Drainage

Your layout sketch should include the electrical lines that will run from the house in order to power any lights or other electrical needs. Also remember to sketch out the extensions for your water lines. If you live in a dry climate, you’ll need to install a sprinkler system to keep your grass healthy. Be sure to include such irrigation systems in your layout.

It’s a good idea to check with your local laws to find out if there are any stipulations regarding construction. Most of the time, your city government will send a specialist to assess your yard and determine whether the construction is safe, especially in terms of its distance from the home. Some renovations that require permits include:

• In-ground pools
• Hardscape
• Buildings and retaining walls

Hiring Contractors

While you may be able to handle certain aspects of the landscaping job, there are likely others that you don’t feel as comfortable doing yourself. This is where contractors can come in handy, performing the tasks that are too difficult. Ask around with family and friends to see if they have any experience with local workers. Consider the following when hiring a contractor:

• Get at least 3 bids
• Find out how long each contractor will take to finish the job
• Check out their references
• Remember that many contractors underbid to win jobs
• Follow your instinct; if you have a bad feeling about someone, it’s probably justified

Hardscaping

Run your electrical, water, and drainage lines underground before beginning any other kind of landscaping. Additions such as retaining walls, fences, a furniture garden bench, and walkways should also be taken into account at this point. You may want to consider adding accents such as fountains, birdbaths, sundials, and gazing balls.

It can be easy to underestimate the space requirements of water features such as waterfalls. Be sure that you have accurate measurements of their dimensions before making plans to include them in your design.

Accounting for Children and Pets

Your children will almost certainly spend lots of time playing in the yard, so be sure to create a space to accommodate them and any yard accessories such as swing sets and sandboxes. Creating a space that they can have to their own is important, but you do want to make sure you can keep an eye on them wherever they are.

Give as much room as possible to children and pets so that they have plenty of space to play in. You may have to sacrifice one of your own yard additions in order to give the kids enough space, but sometimes a simple rearrangement can do the trick.

Choosing the Appropriate Plants

Do a little research to determine the proper plants for your yard. If you live in a dry climate, pick up some succulent plants or ones that tolerate droughts well, while moss, ferns, or other ground cover plants would be appropriate for a humid climate. Plants and trees are classified with numbers that tell you the kind of climates for which they’re best suited, which can save a lot of future headaches.

Don’t forget to plan ahead for the growth of your vegetation and its roots. If you’re installing a pool, keep trees and other plants that “shed” away from the pool or its filter will get clogged.

If shade is one of your primary concerns, you’ll want to stay away from those tall, thin evergreens. Fruit trees, on the other hand, can provide adequate shade but they may take a few years to reach that level of fullness and height. If your yard features a pergola, covering it in vines makes for an easy way to provide shade.

Choosing Annuals or Perennials

Using a variety of annual and perennial flowers can give your yard a unique flavor and appearance. Perennial flowers bloom every year and can be pruned if they start to get out of hand. Annual flowers only bloom once and don’t return the next year, so they should be used to alter the appearance of your yard from year to year.

Placing Your Vegetation

It’s best to plant your trees and plants in a specific pattern: the tallest in the back of the yard, with the mid-sized plants in front of them and then the smallest plants at the forefront.

Choosing the Right Furniture

The type of furniture that you include in your yard depends on your personal tastes. Some people like to have a traditional dining table while others just like to have casual seating. You can make an area seem less sparse by including plant boxes and other additions.

Finally, if you allocated some space for just relaxing or spending time with the family, include any hammocks, benches furniture, and tables in this area.

Designing your own backyard affords you the opportunity to create something that’s truly an expression of your own personality while still providing a place to play, relax, and spend time together for your family.

About the Author

Stan Horst resides in the Blue Ridge Mountain Range in Virginia, right next to the Shenandoah Valley. He operates Cabin Creekwood in the town of Lyndhurst, where he and his family provide lodging in VA rental cabins for guests from around the planet. The family-run business continues to be successful through the help of Stan’s wife of 21 years, Deb, and their teenage son and daughter. In his free time, Stan manages BetterBenches.com, which provides distinctive, high-quality benches and accessories for the backyard, patio, and home. Before becoming a business owner, Stan worked in carpentry with a special focus on furniture design and cabinet construction. His background in the carpentry field provides him with firsthand knowledge of the hard work and attention to detail required for creating quality woodworking. When he’s not working between businesses or writing articles in his office, Stan can be found hiking, camping, and generally enjoying the outdoors with his family and their dog. Stan also enjoys spending time in his garden whenever possible.

by SaveDallasWater.Com

As a service to our customers, Dallas Water Utilities is conducting FREE automatic irrigation system check-ups.

The American Water Works Association (AWWA) has determined that homes with in-ground automatic irrigation systems use 35% more water than those without irrigation systems. And those households using automatic timers for their irrigation systems use 47% more than their neighbors with in-ground systems operating their systems manually.

Poor irrigation scheduling—watering too often and for too long—is the primary source of water waste associated with landscape irrigation. You may be using a lot more water than your lawn needs and if you are a Dallas Water Utilities customer, you can have a FREE irrigation system check-up by a certified landscape irrigation specialist. These check-ups have saved other customers hundreds of dollars per year on their water bill.

These check-ups can help improve the efficiency of your existing irrigation system by identifying:

Programming errors
Leaks in the system
Broken or misaligned equipment
Problems with pressure (too high or too low)
Coverage problems
The Irrigation Specialists will also make recommendations such as:

Programming suggestions
Turf water requirements
Possible equipment upgrades
Repair and maintenance tips
Our goal in Water Conservation is to help you save water! All suggestions are subject to the homeowner’s discretion, but each suggestion will save you money.

For more information or to schedule your automatic sprinkler system check-up, call (214) 670-3155

_____________________________________________________________________

A note from Maria Bargellini of Dallas Curb Appeal

A sprinkler Check does not include repairs. In the state of Texas repair and installs can only be made by licensed professional. You can check with the TCEQ (Texas Commission on Environmental Quality)

Our Irrigation License is LI16405. If you need assistance in implementing the suggestions of the City please feel free to contact us at 214-257-8155.

By Maria Bargellini, President at Dallas Curb Appeal

Dallas Landscape Contractor

Nothing says summer in the south like the blooming of our Crape Myrtles. You can’t beat the colors or the bountiful blooms on these lovely tree forming shrubs. Being in the landscape industry I see a lot of instances where  people put the wrong tree in the wrong place. Sometimes it’s unintentional and sometimes it’s just careless. Crape myrtles come in a wide range of sizes and colors. There’s a perfect Crape Myrtle out there just waiting for you to take it home–Just make sure it’s the right tree for your landscape. Below are some information to help you figure out what variety is best for your landscape.

Shape: Did you know that Crape myrtles come in different shapes. Some are more upright while others can be broad or have a tighter v/vase-shape. Of course some are trimmed by well meaning but un-enlightened people and can appear to be fan shaped also. Look at your landscape and drive around town to see for yourself what these beautiful trees really look like when they are older. Then you’ll get a better idea of what type is best for you. Take pictures with you to the nursery so that they may better help you find the variety you want. With so many varieties they are not always available so call ahead.

Size: Most people don’t realize that the Crape Myrtles can come as small as 1 feet tall, like the Rosy Carpet –yup you heard me 1 foot tall. On the opposite side they can also be as tall as 30+ feet tall like Biloxi . One thing to consider is the meaning of Dwarf. Dwarf means that the plant is smaller than the original not that it’s 2 feet tall. 3 feet and under are referred to as minis or miniature varieties in this case.  Of course the happier this tree forming shrub is the closer it will be to it’s standard height. Height’s aren’t an exact science which is why you’re almost always given a range.

Colors: Do not pick a Crape Myrtle by color alone. We all love the red Dynamite but it can be over 20 feet tall. If you’re planting your tree yourself do yourself a favor and do your research, figure out which one you like, and call around for that specific Crape. Don’t let the lure of the nursery lead you astray. They all will look small and harmless at the nursery now but not so much later.

Pruning: Please people for the love of all things good in the world. Do not hack your Crapes. If you buy one that’s the wrong size you will be hacking at it for eternity. You only need to trim for the following reasons

• Vehicle or pedestrian right of way
• rubbing limbs
• seed heads
• Dead Branches
• and to open up the canopy

Do not let anyone tell you different. They do not ever have to be chopped off or beheaded unless of course you bought the wrong variety and in which case I would tear it out and get the right one instead of having ugly knuckled trees in your yard.

Enjoy the following links from Texas A&M–This is the best link ever if you need helping picking the right Crepe Myrtle for your Dallas Landscape. It’s an Aggie-Hort site that lists Crepe Myrtles by color, size, and by common name.

If you would like to have a landscape professional help you with your Crape Myrtle project please feel free to leave a comment or call Dallas Curb Appeal at 214-257-8155.

By Maria Bargellini

Dallas Landscape and Irrigation Contractor

The Smart controllers are a fantastic invention. These controllers are also referred to as ET (Evapotranspirational) controllers. This big fancy 2 part word has been created to describe the incorporation of Evaporation (change from liquid to vapor)  and Transpiration-(plant’s water loss). The Smart Controller is designed to collect past and present weather data with the use of it’s weather station to estimate how much water has been lost through both processes and and how much water is then needed for your specific conditions.

For example

If it rained once a day for 7 days, we got a total of 5″, and it was followed by 2 days of sweltering heat the Smart Controller will figure out how much water has evaporated from the ground, how much water was lost through transpiration and how much and when to water next. Ingenious right–well yes but it isn’t full proof, at least not yet. If you have plants that are covered by eaves or zones that have plants with mixed water requirements, or a faulty system the Smart Controller can’t recognize that.

You can however set the controller to understand the following conditions

• Sloped areas: This is great because all too often we don’t realize that we lose a lot of water from slope runoff. The controller can figure that out for you.
• Individual zone list: You can tell the controller what type of plant material you have per zone. For ex. pots, new planting, shrubs, grass, etc. have different water requirements and this will allow you to set it up so that they all get the water they need when they need it.
• Differentiate between Drip and spray zone: Drip has to stay on much longer than spray zones. This makes it easy to adjust them accordingly.
• Adjust the percentages of water for the year–for ex. In the summer you will do 100% of your water values but in the winter you will probably use 0-10% of your water values. Other controllers cannot be set to change percentages.
• You can block out days and times according to restrictions–The Smart Controller will adjust it’s watering schedule around the restricted date and times automatically.
• Valve Locator–(not all ET controllers have this) This is a fantastic tool. If you need to locate  faulty or buried valves the SmartLine controller by Weathermatic will send a signal that will make it chirp so that you can find it.

Manual watering continues to be the best way to water but for those of you with better things to do Smart Controllers can help you get the most out of your irrigation system. There are many models available from several manufactures but I like the SmartLine from WM WeatherMatic because it’s easy to use, has great tools, and the weather station is small enough that it’s not an eyesore. If you would like more more data and pricing  information of these fantastic controllers you can call us at 214-257-8155. Our irrigator License number is LI16405

Other Articles you might be interested in:

how much to water your lawn(specific DIY)

Sprinklers VS. Drip

Watering new sod

Drip Irrigation

How to do your own water audit

How to do your own Sprinkler Check

By Gino Bargellini

Licensed Irrigator, Backflow Inspector, Certified auditor

The key to successfully irrigating your lawn or landscape is to make sprinkler checks routine. If you do not have the time you can hire a professional to come or you can simple turn on your sprinklers periodically to make sure they are function properly and pointed in the right place. Doing so can save you both time and money. You are going to set your sprinkler controller to manually run for about 2 minutes at each zone. This will allow you time to evaluate the zone for any damage or leaks. Buy markers or flags to mark heads that need to be repaired.

Common sprinkler repairs

Mis-directed or misaligned heads–Children and pets running across lawns and moving mowers may cause damage to your heads that you will not be aware of until it’s too late. Something as minor as hitting the nozzle and changing the direction can have quite an impact on your lawn or landscape. If your nozzle is pointing towards the sidewalk and not your grass you won’t realize you have a problem until the lawn turns brown. Leaks go often undetected as well. Heads that come out of the ground on an angle will not have the same distribution pattern and may lead to browning in the missed areas.

Broken heads

This is the worst offense. A broken head can waste as much as 4,000 gallons of water every time it goes on. So if your sprinkler goes off at 3am you will not have a clue that you are not only loosing 4,000 gallons of water but that the rest of the zones is not being properly watered.

Not all sprinkler parts are created equal–meaning that they are not usually interchangeable. If you need to replace things like nozzles, heads, and valves you are better off going to a irrigation supply that will have parts from multiple manufactures. Doing so will also ensure that you get quality commercial grade products. If you would like to schedule a sprinkler check or any other irrigation work please feel free to calls at 214-257-8155 or email us at Sales@dallascurbappeal.com.

Gino Bargellini is the Vice President of Dallas Curb Appeal, a full service landscape contractor and DFW Christmas Lights, installing holiday lighting across the Metroplex.

Other Articles you might be interested in:

how much to water your lawn(specific DIY)

Sprinklers VS. Drip

Watering new sod

Drip Irrigation

How to do your own water audit

The purpose of the water audit is to make full use of every drop of water and avoid making assumptions and generalizations as to when to water and how much. With a water audit you can customize an irrigation schedules based upon on catch can results, site-specific soil conditions and plant water requirements, instead of using the longtime standard recommendation of 15 minutes– 3 times a week. Now you will be able to adjust run times for individual zones based on measured precipitation rates.

Click here for a PDF of The Aggie-Hort Water Audit Data Sheet. There you will find the sheet and the steps required to do a full residential water audit. Please Note: This is not a professional sheet and cannot be used to submit audits to municipalities. The following is some general information on water audits.

Irrigation audits consist of three main activities:

• Site inspection: This is essentially a sprinkler check. For more on sprinkler checks click here. Sprinkler parts are not made to last indefinitely. Common problems are clogged or broken heads, clogged or misdirected nozzles, heads that won’t pop up, etc. You should set up a regular maintenance program for your home to be performed by you or an irrigation professional. In the state of Texas only licensed irrigators or certified irrigation technicians are allowed to repair or install sprinklers. Click here to go to the TCEQ (Texas Center for Environmental Quality) to verify licensing. Once you have repaired any issues proceed to the performance testing.

• Performance testing: This is where you are going to evaluate your systems operation to ensure that you have adequate water coverage, by setting out your catch cans (or tuna fish cans). The sprinkler components such as the heads and valves are designed to operate under certain water pressure. Too little or too much can lead to operating problems that will be apparent once you evaluate the area. A system with low pressure will not have overlapping water and may have brown sections   in the lawn, where the sprays cannot reach. This may also be due to heads that were installed too far apart.
  

• Irrigation scheduling: Now here comes a little math. See the PDF file for the formulas and how to use the information you have gathered. Determining when to schedule your sprinklers will be based primarily on the information (percipation rates) found in the audit, however there are other factors to consider, such as the following:

• • Water requirements of the plants or grass
  • zones in which the plant material has mixed water requirements
  • Size of the root ball when planted-and after. If you install annuals with a 2″ root system and a shrub with a 12″ root ball they will not have the same watering requirements.
  • Areas that are covered by eaves or other obstructions that will not receive rain water.

Performing your own water audit is the  only way to get the answer as to exactly how much to water and how often to water for your home. If you would like to have a water audit professionally done or require assistance with your sprinkler repairs you can contact us at 214-257-8155.

Gino Bargellini is the Vice President of Dallas Curb Appeal, a full service landscape contractor and DFW Christmas Lights, installing holiday lighting across the Metroplex.

Other Articles you might be interested in:

how much to water your lawn(specific DIY)

Sprinklers VS. Drip

Watering new sod

Drip Irrigation

How to do your own sprinkler check

By Gino Bargellini

Licensed Irrigator, Backflow inspector, certified water auditor

These 4- steps are designed to help you figure out whats best for your particular lawn. Everyone has different conditions. By using these simple steps you will be able to determine how efficient your system is, how often to water and how much to water to use.

1st step: Take stock of your landscape and the irrigation system

The main thing you need figure out in this step is whether you have drip or sprinkler zones that have different sun/shade conditions. If you do, it makes things a bit more difficult because you will more than likely under or over water one section on a shared zone with mixed sun/shade. You either have to find a balance where one section is not going to be too dry or too wet, amend you system to separate the zones or simply hand water the sunnier side when it needs it.

2nd Step: Perform or schedule a Sprinkler Check

Doing this will ensure that you have the proper water coverage and functioning heads and nozzles.  For directions on how to do a simple sprinkler check, click here.

3rd step: Perform or Schedule a Water Audit

You can do this with the old tuna fish cans, or if you don’t fancy the idea of eating tuna for a few weeks you can always buy catch cans/rain gauges  from us or make an appointment to have a certified water auditor perform an audit for you, call us at 214-257-8155 for more details.  To do a true water audit takes some math and a lot of catch cans, for directions on how to do a simple water audit click here.

4th Step: Start Experimenting

Once you have finished the steps and gathered all your information you can start the scheduling. Once you have adjusted or amended your sprinklers and performed the audit you should have learn what you need to set your sprinklers. For example, you have learned that after 5 minutes your water begins to run off and that it takes 20 minutes to fill the catch can to 1″-which is all most lawns need. You will then set your controller to water your lawn for 5 minutes 2x in the morning and 2x at night or any variation of that- that will allow you to avoid run off and over watering.

Keep notes of your progress. Remember to account for rain in the scheduling process. If you buy a rain gauge and locate it near but not on your lawn you will be able to adjust your sprinklers to account for the “free water”. If you need help with this process please feel free to leave a comment below and we will do our best to help you out.

Gino Bargellini is the Vice President of Dallas Curb Appeal, a full service landscape contractor in Dallas and DFW Christmas lights, installing holiday lighting across the metroplex.  LI 16405, BF 11273

Other Articles you might be interested in:

How much to water (general info)

Sprinklers VS. Drip

Watering new sod

Drip Irrigation

How to do your own sprinkler check

How to do your own water audit