4 Seasons Landscaping's blog

The Best Fruits and Vegetables to Eat This Fall

 
From September to November the autumn harvest brings a variety of healthy and delicious produce, from squash and sweet potatoes to apples and pears. While almost all produce can be purchased year round, transporting produce across the country isn’t easy. Buying local seasonal produce not only reduces our carbon footprint, it also helps local economies and results in more nutritious produce. Check out some top autumnal produce picks that are both delicious and super healthy. Don’t be afraid to try something new!
 
Apples - These are definitely a fall favorite that are packed with antioxidants, and may prevent chronic illness and slow aging. There are more than 7,500 different types. Fuji apples have the highest concentration of phenolics and flavonoids, while Cortland and Empire apples have the lowest.
 

What is the Difference Between Hardscaping and Softscaping?

Hardscape and Softscape are two distinct forms of landscaping. Both are equally important in terms of property beautification. Finding the right balance between the two is the key to a stunning yard.

Hardscaping – This refers to all hard landscaping elements, such as brick, slate, concrete, flagstone, and terrazzo materials. These are all used to construct retaining walls, patios, walkways, decks, stairs, water features, and fire pits. Hardscape landscaping is put into place to create boundaries, direct rainwater flow, and provide space for grilling and similar activities.

Softscaping – This refers to the incorporation of the “living” part of a landscape. This includes trees, shrubs, flowers, plants, vines, hedges, and turf. These can be less permanent that hardscape features. Softscape elements can frequently change when you add a new plant or remove dead plants. Softscape is often arranged in conjunction with hardscape designs.

The best landscaping combines both hardscape and softscape elements. The two should complement each other and create a nice balance.

How and When to Prune Different Plants

                                                                                                       

Most plants benefit from some sort of regular pruning and maintenance. The trick is knowing when to prune what.

Start with the right pruning tools - The first thing you need to consider is which tool is best for the job. Four basic tools required for pruning are hand pruners, loppers, shears, and saws.

Figuring out when to prune your plants – This can be confusing, but pruning at the wrong time could result in fewer flowers and fruits, although it is rarely fatal to the plant. The exception to this is pruning too late in the season, which will encourage a lot of new tender growth that will be killed with the onset of winter.

When to prune flowering shrubs and vines – A general rule of thumb is to prune summer and fall flowering trees/shrubs in the dormant season (late winter/early spring) and to prune spring flowering trees/shrubs soon after their flowers fade.

How to prune fruit trees and berry plants – Most fruiting plants need to be pruned while they are dormant. Fruit trees and berries will steadily decline unless they are pruned and tended.

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