Garden State

Need to get out of the house and get some fresh air? It’s true that next month spring will be underway, but we still have some cold and wet weather to get through. Fortunately, there’s plenty to keep you and your family busy in Bernardsville New Jersey as we wrap up another winter and head into spring!

Bernards Township Community Art Show – February 7, 8, 9, 9:00 – 5:00 pm

Environmental Education Center

Art show displaying works of art from friends and neighbors.

Girls Night Out – February 9, 7:00 – 9:00 pm

Somerset Hills Chiropractic

Valentine Boutique – February 10, 1:00 to 5:00 pm

Bernardsville Public Library

The boutique will offer a range of gift items just in time for Valentine’s Day. A percentage of boutique sales will benefit the library.

Crafty Hands – February 10, 4:00 pm

Bernardsville Public Library

An art activity for families will feature making a twirling acrobat.

Backyard Birding for Beginners – February 11, 2:30 – 4:00 pm

Environmental Education Center

Learn the basics of backyard bird watching. Cost $9/person.

Valentine Dogs – February 13, 4:15 pm

Bernardsville Public Library

Make cute dogs using construction paper hearts. Grades K-3.

Interactive Music Lecture – February 22, 1:30 pm

Fellowship Village

Interactive lecture with George Marriner Maul

Kool-Aid Painting - February 24, 10:30 am & 4:15 pm

Bernardsville Public Library

Make a beautiful, fun smelling picture.

The Annual Chili Cook-off - March 24

Somerset Hills Foundation Education

Submit your favorite chili recipe.

Image: crossestategardens.org

Sponsored by Greg Tanzer Sprinklers

When it comes to lawn and lawn maintenance, nothing beats a professionally installed sprinkler system. The Millburn, New Jersey and general mid-Atlantic region experience ideal climates for such irrigation systems.

By installing a professional sprinkler system you only increase the value of your property, you will also be ensuring regular maintenance to your lawn with minimal effort. Professionally installed sprinkler systems are designed to provide the exact needs for your property. Whether commercial or residential, large or small, all lawns require maintenance.

A professionally installed sprinkler system is complete with a control box that allows for automatic watering, whether you’re at home or not. These irrigation systems are also highly efficient in cost and energy as they are designed to produce minimal over-spray with maximum watering efficiency. You can choose from rotary, stationary, oscillating, impulse, pulsating, or traveling sprinkler systems, which can be chosen for maximum efficiency with your professional installer.

Your professional installer will also maintain your sprinkler system, so there is no need to worry about winterizing the system yourself. While you have your system seasonal inspections will be completed for proper pressure, broken or clogged heads, visual leaks, as well as a test of the controller and backup battery.

Blog sponsored by Greg Tanzer Sprinklers

Photo courtesy of Homestead Lawn Sprinkler

Both warm-season and cool-season grasses can be used in the Millburn and general mid-Atlantic region. However, it is more common to find a variety of cool-season grasses adorning local lawns. With the diverse New Jersey climate comes a diverse list of grasses. These include Perennial Ryegrass, Fine Fescues, Kentucky Bluegrass and Tall Fescue to name a few. Zoysia and Bermuda grass can also be found around the central and southern areas of the state.

Kentucky Bluegrass is a popular choice with the Millburn region for its bold green color and high-quality turf. It’s a sturdy grass that does well with the harsh winters however, it is a grass that requires more than its share of maintenance. Kentucky Bluegrass, although a beautiful grass, is susceptible to a variety of diseases, often thatches, is intolerant to salt and shade and is sensitive to droughts and heat, which are all things to keep in mind if you intend to seed a large property.

Perennial Ryegrasses also offer a beautiful green lawn but are designed for areas of full sun and are also not terribly drought resistant. Tall Fescue is the perfect choice for landscape that is prone to wear and tear. This grass is highly tolerant of full sun, high traffic, drought, salt and most diseases. This clump-type grass requires little maintenance and is the last to brown out at the end of summer.

Regardless of which grass type you choose, maintenance will be the key to a successful lawn. The mowing season in New Jersey is normally from April until November. During this time it’s important to always mow your grass when it grows to 3 inches and never cut more than 1/3 of the blade at a time. If you cut your grass when it’s less than 3 inches, you will promote drying and weed growth. Letting it grow beyond 3 inches may result in a city bylaw ticket. If it’s really hot, don’t mow your lawn unless it really needs to be mowed and always avoid scalping the edges when trimming driveways and sidewalks. Lawns should be watered once or twice a week, only in the morning to mid-afternoon.

Blog sponsored by Greg Tanzer Sprinklers

Photo courtesy of Elin’s Blog

If you’re lucky enough to have a large yard or property in Bernardsville and are without a professional sprinkler system, you are no doubt familiar with the fact that the pressure provided to residential homes is often not enough to water a large lawn or garden area.

It may be time to stop lugging hoses and start thinking about installing a professional sprinkler system. There are numerous benefits to a professionally installed system. Aside from the garden hose, a professional system is much more time and cost efficient.

Professionally installed sprinkler systems are combined with a controlled timer to ensure the lawn gets watered whether you’re home or not. They are set to maximize water efficiency with a predetermined amount of pressure and are matched with a type of spray head that fulfills your irrigation needs.

Spray heads are very popular and simple. They are designed as a high application rate, which means they are meant to disperse a lot of water over a 5 to 15 foot radius in a short amount of time. Rotor heads are the best choice for large areas and sloping landscape as they operate with higher pressure and can send water up to 50 feet. Pop-up sprinkler heads are installed flush with the ground. When activated, the water pressure forces the heads above ground where they water proceed to water the area then retract again once the pressure is removed, or the water is turned off.

Once you’ve chosen the perfect sprinkler system for your yard, you can relax and enjoy the professional maintenance that comes with the installed system. During spring turn-on, your system will be fully inspected for visual leaks, proper pressure, clogged or broken heads as well as a test of the backup battery and controller. Prior to winter your system will require winterizing to avoid freezing damage. This is done on the spot by a professional who will blow out all irrigation lines and unplug all of the controllers.

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Photo courtesy of Lawn Sprinklers

Did you know that grass is a member of the herb family? Planting grass in the mid-Atlantic region can be a little tricky but it is easily accomplished if you know where to start. It can be even easier for those who have a little green-thumb knowledge about planting herbs in the Bernardsville area. The best place to begin when installing a new lawn is with the seeds.

Although most grasses manage just fine in the New Jersey region, cool-weather grasses tend to do the best, as they are able to endure the harsh winter conditions better than other grass varieties. Grasses such as Fescues, Ryegrass, Kentucky Bluegrass and Bentgrass are the most common choices due to their proven success.

If you are installing a new lawn remember to consider other factors aside from weather before choosing a final grass type. If you’re looking for a lower maintenance grass, consider the Tall Fescue as it doesn’t require a lot of attention. However, the Creeping Bentgrass is completely opposite in that it needs heaps of attention. The biggest difference between these two is the aesthetic appeal of the finished product. While both do well at providing ground coverage, Tall Fescue can be a little bunchy, to the point where some may find it unattractive.

Kentucky Bluegrass remains a popular choice for its aesthetic curb appeal and middle-of-the road level of maintenance, however it does require a lot of sunlight and is not a great choice for shady yards. For yards with a mixture of sun and shade, try combining the Kentucky Bluegrass with fine Fescue seeds to even out the area. If your yard is about more resistance to wear than it is about being a showpiece, the Tall Fescue is an ideal choice. This grass type is great for high traffic areas and once again, requires little maintenance.

Regular lawn maintenance is definitely a key to a healthy green lawn. With regular watering, mowing and fertilizing, especially in the spring and just before winter, New Jersey residents can have a successful lawn year around. Remember that the mowing season in the mid-Atlantic averages from April until November. This means regular mowing should be done not only to maintain a beautiful lawn, but also to avoid city tickets.

Blog sponsored by Greg Tanzer Sprinklers

Photo courtesy of Jamies Fun House

Winter is almost upon us, which means it’s time to trade in the mowers for blowers. If your snowblower has been enjoying a restful summer, you may want to give it a little attention before it’s officially needed. Although snowblower maintenance should be done in the spring, the fall is a good time to double check that it functions well.

Before the first snowfall of the year do a little maintenance on your snowblower, especially before you use it for the first time in that season. These maintenance tips are easy and can be done at home.

Inspect the body of your blower for damage including bent or missing pieces. If there is damage, the spring is a good time to take it for repair as the fall and early winter will see repair shops very busy.

Inspect the auger paying special attention to the rubber. If it looks worn or torn, repalce it. Change the oil and install a new spark plug. This will help the motor to run as smoothly as possible. Take a quick look to make sure the belts are in good condition. There should not be any cracks or severe wear to them. If so, now is the best time to change them.

Take a few minutes to lube the chasis and drive. This is beneficial in the event any corrosion may have occurred during the summer months. You will also want to fill your snowblower with clean, fresh gasoline. This is actually more important than you may think. Gas that has been sitting for a long time will collect moisture and bad gas may prevent your snowblower from starting when you need it most.

These few maintenance tips will help your snowblower to run better and provide peak performance. This will certainly prove helpful when the first hard snowfall of the year comes. At least you know you will be ready!

Blog sponsored by Greg Tanzer Sprinklers

Photo courtesy of Bob Vila

Whether a large acreage or a quaint city house, adding a professional lighting system is a great way to provide security as well as add a touch of appeal. If a professional lighting system is something you’ve been considering, here is a run down of the basic components that are involved.

First your professional installer will want to meet with you to get a feel for your needs and ideas. He or she will then incorporate them into the area you have taking into consideration your architecture, current plant growth, views from inside and outside the home as well as curb appeal.

Greg Tanzer Professional Lighting will install high quality fixtures that are out of sight. This keeps the fixtures safe from the elements as well as curious children and pets and your lawn care equipment.

All installations are guaranteed professional with walkways, existing plants, pavers and any landscaped areas taken into great consideration. The proper voltage and amerage as well as its location will be recorded. An automatic timer and / or a photocell will also be installed, which ensures your outdoor lighting is carefree and will not require manual attention each day.

All outdoor lighting installation will include voltage control and high quality fixture wires with crimped and soldered connections and sleeve material where necessary. Your professional installation will also include stainless steel or black powder coated UL transformers. These transformers are ultra safe with optional timer and photocell controls, warranted for 25 years; the electrical components are warranted for three years.

All fixtures are extremely durable and are warranted as per their specific product. Splice enclosures will be installed using PVC voltage distribution boxes. The bulbs are included and will be replaced at no charge if they happen to fail within the first month of installation. For an appointment, contact Greg Tanzer Sprinklers.

Blog sponsored by Greg Tanzer Sprinklers

Photo courtesy of Greg Tanzer