Fifty-Five

I was so proud of myself. I have been walking, playing tennis, practicing Pilates and exercising almost daily. I had lost weight during the initial few months of my new routine and gradually gained weight as I turned fat into what I am calling muscle. Several friends and customers have noticed my body change, some going as far as to say that I look younger.

After one of these comments, I went to a restaurant that I frequent called Alo. Alo is located on the southbound service road of Central Expressway between Knox and Fitzhugh. It has what they call Peruvian food, which is much tastier and much more appealing to the eyes then any food I ate in Peru.

Oh yea, I got side tracked, another issue that I am learning to deal with now that I have reached the double nickel. Fifty-five. It seems that I digress more and more from my writings, my speech and my doings. Just the other day… DAMN!!!

Ok, so a customer noticed my weight loss and change in physique and even thought that I looked younger. I go to a restaurant and sit down to eat a wonderful Peruvian dinner. Next to me there is an empty table, but not for long as three young women sat down next to me. I began a conversation with them and by the end of the meal I was proud that they had not stopped talking or told me to go to hell.

I paid my bill said good night and left the restaurant. I was barely out the door when one of the girls came running out. “Sir… SIR!” She said louder.

I turned around wondering if I my charming personality had seduced her, my mind racing with excitement and exciting thoughts. “Sir, you forgot your credit card.” My swelling ego quickly deflated.

“By the way we had fun talking to you.” My ego swelled again. Maybe?

“I moved to Dallas about six months ago,” she continued. Now I knew she was going to give me her phone number, I started pulling my phone out of my pocket. “You reminded me of my father, I miss his sense of humor.”

Wonderful!!! “Well I hope you give him a call tonight, I am sure that he would enjoy talking to you.”

Things to NOT Do in July

Leaves give shade. Not really intended to shade humans, although we have taken advantage of their “good” nature and sit under their cool umbrella or build our homes in many instances below their shadow.

Leaves capture the sun’s light in order to make food for the plant a process called Photosynthesis.

The leaves allow carbon dioxide to pass into it and oxygen and water vapors to pass out. This process makes food for the plant, then makes the plant healthy and stronger. Leaves are intended to stay on the plant. NOT to be trimmed or butchered to the nub of the plant.

We had a customer that hired us in April. I was so happy to get this customer because she owned two homes next to each other. One was the home where she lived an 8000 s/f very formal French style villa. The other was her guesthouse, a regular Dallas standard brick home. Nothing special. How convenient for my crew to mow two yards at one stop. Before hiring our company we walked both properties and she let me know what she expected and I communicated with her what I would or would not due.

One of the things that I would not due was to trim her overly pruned hollies and boxwoods. I was going to let them grow out enough so that we could reshape the plant allowing it to re-grow needed foliage. She agreed.

NOT! She fired me the very next month. The leaves of her plants had barely begun to sprout and she said that the house looked unkempt.

I can not say that this is the only house I have seen that was trimmed so terribly that the health of the plant was at stake. Hundreds, if not thousands of dollars were spent killing the plant and thousands more would be spent replacing the shrubs, in this case very soon.

Several customers throughout the years who had plants that were in similar or worse condition than the property mentioned above, have allowed us to do what was best for their plants. To the best of my now fading memory, 99% of the plants recovered and went on to be successful landscape specimens. Not overnight, mind you, but within a reasonable amount of time leaves were full-grown, flowers would bloom when appropriate or berries would form. Wildlife habitat and food were restored.

Things to Do in July

1. I believe that every black-clay lawn should be aerated in the heat of the summer. The thousands of holes will allow quick penetration of moisture deep into the soil away from the hot sun. This will allow less evaporation, more infrequent watering, easier root growth and fewer fungal problems.
2. Fertilize the lawn and all flowerbeds. This will allow plant roots to take up nutrients and be ready to grow as soon as things cool off around-mid-September.
3. Water Smartly! Do not have your system on a timer. Make sure the top soil is not damp before you water and when you water make sure that it is early morning and not at dusk.
4. Mulch the beds! Thickly always maintain a three inch layer of mulch over all soils. I actually prefer a combination of what ever is left from previous mulching, a one inch layer of cotton bur compost and one or two inches of mulch. My first choice is pine straw, then cedar mulch and finally hardwood mulch. I hate and therefore do not sell dyed mulches and pine bark mulch.
5. Walk the garden, enjoy the beauty of your lawn, your garden. Take a close look at the foliage of your plants remembering to look at the underside of the plant. Look for caterpillars, curling leaves and what is making the leaves curl. Check the colors of the leaves, the veins, the molting and general size compared to other similar plants.
6. Plan ahead. As you walk your property and notice something wrong make plans to correct it, immediately if possible or as soon as time permits. Plan ahead also means consult with a designer or a landscape architect. For simple ideas call Sally here at Rohde’s, 972-864-1934 or 800-864-4445, or email her here.

For more intricate landscapes with structures and grills email Carol Feldman here..