The ARCSA (American Rainwater Catchment Systems Association) recently published a press release demonstrating their concern for the quality of America’s drinking water. A recent contamination of West Virginia’s water supply demonstrated the vulnerability of America’s water supply and the need for creating safe, decentralized water supplies throughout the country. With this main goal in mind, ARCSA strongly supports rainwater harvesting to help increase the availability of fresh drinking water and help solve energy challenges throughout the country.

Throughout the attached press release, ARCSA describes the benefits of a rainwater harvesting system both for residential and commercial uses. Currently, our water is subject to over 200 potential contaminants. Some of these contaminants may be in such small traces that they go unnoticed by EPA Drinking Water standards. This means, the water you’re currently consuming may be full of a variety of potential contaminants. For this reason and many more, there has been a resurgence in rainwater harvesting popularity.

For more information on the benefits of rainwater harvesting from ARCSA, read the included press release. For information on how to set up your own rainwater harvesting system, contact Grandiflora Services today!

Our very own Ed Dolphin was featured on the Green Thumb Podcast, where he shared his knowledge on trees, selection, and care. Throughout the podcast, Ed and Beverly, the host from The Arbor Gate, discuss proper maintenance of trees and landscape during the winter months. Ed shares with the audience why the winter is the perfect time to promote healthier trees, perform deep root fertilization, and most importantly prune your trees. By pruning your trees in the dead of winter, you’re setting your trees up for a healthy Spring. Proper pruning of your trees calls for the removal of the dead, dying, and diseased limbs, and the limbs with weak attachments.When complete, you are essentially helping the tree store its energy so it can fully blossom in the Spring.

In addition, Ed also shares his knowledge on hiring a tree care professional. Although there are many companies who offer tree care services, it is important when searching for a company you look for one who has proper certifications. When searching, you need to be looking for a tree care provider who is insured, carries worker compensation, or occupational accident insurance. Although accidents are rare, these certifications protect you, the company, and the company’s employees.

To learn more about tree care and maintenance in the winter months, listen to the full podcast linked below featuring Ed from Grandiflora Services!

Green Thumb Podcast Episode 5: Trees with Ed Dolphin

All so often I have customers ask what would be a good tree for fall color, I always follow that with a question of what about the other 360 days of the year. Remember when planting to consider a good tree for the right location will be an asset for years to come. On the other side of the coin, a good tree in a bad location will one day be a liability, it’s just a matter of time. With that, some of my favorite trees for fall color is a Shumard Red Oak, a Red Maple, a Sweet gum, a Flaming Sumac, a Chinese Pistachio, these are just to name a few. Also remember to consider the long term ramifications when planting. Chances are that the tree you plant today will be here long after you are not.

Need help, check out www.texastreeplanting.tamu.edu for a tree planting guide and tree planting tips. This is a great website to help you make the right decision on what to plant. If you need more help, give us a call and we can come out and consult with you as to what to plant and where, or we can plant it for you. Just let us know.

November through February is the best time to plant those trees that have been on your to-do list. Remember a good tree in a good location will be an asset for years to come. Check out the Texas Tree Planting website for advice on the right tree to plant; and then here is a link to the Arbor-Day website that has some videos with some great advice for doing it properly. Tree Planting Tips

Are you interested in your tree’s over all health? Here is what recommend to help out:
I prescribe PHC for Trees along with BIO Pack. That is a really good mixture of nutrients, humates and minerals. I recommend that be done as a deep root injection twice a year. For a tree that is really struggling, I will recommend Ocean Harvest and Mycorrhizae Spores. This is a very good mixture, but can be pricey, especially on a large tree. For a topical application, I recommend Micro-Life. This is a slow release blend with Fish, Kelp, Molasses, Emery Humates, Bat Guano, Rock Phosphate, Wheat Middling’s, Soy Meal, Cottonseed Meal, Alfalfa, Corn Meal, Kmag, Potassium Sulfate, Iron Sulfate, Bone Meal, 18 select Amino Acids, Folic Acid, Vitamins plus the MicroGro Supreme Bio-Inoculant which contains billions of beneficial microorganisms including Endo & Ecto Mycorrhizal fungi. This is good stuff. More information on this product line can be found at http://www.microlifefertilizer.com . If property owners and managers would quit using fertilizers like weed and feed, as well as turf builder, basically one in the same, they would see a lot less problems with all of their plants, including their turf.
We are seeing quite a bit of pine beetle action, although I’m surprised it’s not more. We are in year 5 of a drought, with year three being of historic proportion. The most important thing that property owners can do is water properly. I realize that is sometimes difficult with watering restrictions on in most residential areas. Although, if people would water more thoroughly and less frequently, their plants would be far better for it. It’s a matter of overcoming the mind set of watering everyday for 5 minutes and embedding the mindset of watering the way that plants were intended to be, less frequently, more thoroughly. Just like a good rainfall.

As you know when the ground gets dry, it gets hard, so doing vertical mulching is very advantageous for allowing air and water penetration into the ground. I wish we could do more of that. It’s something that should be done at least once a year, especially in clay based soils.

As of today, we are renaming the tree care division of Grandiflora Services to ArborWorks by Grandiflora Services. Our primary purpose of being in business is to provide superior care for the most expensive plants in your landscape, your trees. We begin our focus on well trained employees. A well trained employee will provide safe services, be it tree removal, pruning, planting, cabling and bracing, fertilization or insect control. Our goal is to provide a 100% safety rating, through guaranteed accurate estimates, and ending with immaculate cleanup. Your satisfaction is our guarantee, and we take that seriously.

For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God. We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up yo the present time.

It’s almost planting season in Southeast Texas, but it’s never to early to start planning what you are going to plant. Citrus trees don’t take a tremendous amount of space, and are relatively easy to care for. You can even start them in large pots. Be sure to put them in full sun. There are plenty of varieties to plant in our area, lemon, lime, and grapefruit, just to name a few. I love fresh lime in my tea, how about you?

When I look at a patch of dandelions, I see a bunch of weeds that are going to take over my yard.

What my kids see are flowers for Mom and blowing white fluff you can wish on.

When I look at an old drunk and he smiles at me, I see a smelly, dirty person who probably wants money and I look away.

What my kids see is someone smiling at them and they smile back.

When I hear music I love, I know I can’t carry a tune, so I sit self-consciously and listen.

What my kids hear is the beat and move to it. They sing the words and if they don’t know them, they make up their own.

When I feel wind on my face, I brace myself against it. I feel it messing up my hair and pulling me back when I walk.

What my kids feel is they close their eyes, spread their arms and fly with it, until they fall to the ground laughing.

When I pray, I say thee and thou and grant me this, give me that.

What my kids pray is “Hi God! Thanks for my toys and my friends.”

When I see a mud puddle I step around it. I see muddy shoes and dirty carpets.

What my kids see are dams to build, rivers to cross, and worms to play with.

I wonder if we are given kids to teach or to learn from?