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The Amazing Pumpkin Patch

August 18, 2012 by K&J Lawn and Garden Service LLC

Here is a word math problem for all those heading back to school in a few weeks.

What do you get when you take one first grade student, add one pumpkin seed, include a teacher who says “sure, you can plant that” and a summer of great temps and plenty of rain?

An amazing pumpkin patch!

Last week I was doing a landscape estimate for Greenbrier Montessori School and one of the staff members showed me this pumpking patch.

The legend of the amazing pumpkin patch goes like this.  One fist grader last spring had a single pumpkin seed when the class was planting different vegetable plants in the schools garden, he asked the teacher if he could plant it.  The teacher approved.  Now I know a thing or two about planting pumpkins, so take my word, it is close to a miracle that this seed germinated at all.  It wasn’t planted in the best location or in great soil.  It had not been tended to by the staff this summer either, so it shouldn’t be alive.  But as you can see from my photo, it is covering a 12′x24′ area.

The single planted seed is producing dozens of new pumpkins, one of which is ready to be harvested (see above).

The moral of this story is that it may be better to literally have the child plant the seed than try to figuratively plant a seed in him.

I hope this year’s students enjoy carving the pumpkins.

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New Equipment equals New Service

May 16, 2012 by K&J Lawn and Garden Service LLC

K&J is expanding.  We now offer stump grinding services.

Here is the stump after just 30 minutes with this tough little machine.

Give us a call to get an estimate on removing your stumps.

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Lawn Care tips…compliments of the Virginia Cooperative Extension (by Kregg Deur, owner K&J Lawn and Garden Service LLC)

May 7, 2011 by K&J Lawn and Garden Service LLC

Good morning Hampton Roads.  Kregg here, from K&J Lawn and Garden Service, with your Garden Tip of the Week.

 

Some of you may be thinking to yourself, “Boy, this Kregg guy sure must have a big brain to store all these great garden tips”.  Well, the truth is, I do…… but I also get a lot of my info from the World Wide Web, thanks to Global Warming Al.

 

Today’s tips come from the Virginia Cooperative Extension at www.ext.vt.edu and deal with lawn care:

 

  • Reseed any bare spots in your new lawn immediately to keep weeds from growing.
  • Sharpen your lawn mower blade monthly since a dull blade can pull grass seedlings from the soil instead of cutting them.
  • Lengthening the time between waterings combined with deep, heavy watering encourages root growth while reducing top growth in lawns. This increases the root-to-shoot ratio and produces plants that are more resistant to wilting when exposed to infrequent watering.
  • Letting a young lawn grow too tall and then cutting it back to the recommended height is detrimental. Such extreme leaf removal stops the flow of food to the roots, weakens the plants, and opens the lawn to diseases. Never let it grow so tall that you have to cut off more than one third of the grass blade.
  • Lawns maintained at the correct height resist disease and weed infestation. Kentucky bluegrass and tall fescue should be kept between 2 to 3 inches in height. Mow frequently, removing no more than one third of the blade at each cutting.
  • Don’t over water your lawn this summer. Too much water leaches nitrogen from the soil, encourages weeds, and invites disease problems.
  • Creeping red fescue may be used for turf in shady, drought- prone areas. Keep this grass at 2 to 2 and 1/2 inches in height.
  • If your lawn is bluegrass/fescue, resist the urge to fertilize now. Fall is the time to fertilize these grasses. Fertilizing now will keep you behind the lawn mower all spring and increase chance of injury to your lawn from summer disease and drought.
  • Moles feed on white grubs and can ruin lawns while burrowing after them. Moles can be eliminated by eliminating the grubs. Consult the Cooperative Extension Service for current pest control recommendations.
  • Grass clippings can be used as mulch in flower beds and vegetable gardens if allowed to dry well before use. Fresh, damp, grass clippings will mat and may attract pests. Never use clippings from a lawn that has been treated with a herbicide.

 

Now you know, so get out and do some yard work this weekend.

 

Again, I’m Kregg, from K&J Lawn and Garden Service, where we are improving the landscape of Hampton Roads, one yard at a time.

www.KandJLawn.com

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Why does a bus stop every 50 feet?

April 17, 2011 by K&J Lawn and Garden Service LLC

Questions of the day: Why do school buses stop every 50-100 feet to pick-up kids?

I remember when I was a kid heading to kindergarten, I walked over 5 blocks to school.

In Third Grade, had to walk a mile to the bus stop.

What does it cost to start and stop a standard diesel-powered school bus?

How long do the brakes last and what is the annual cost to maintain a school bus? What is the stiker price on a new bus?

I know last year I spent $700 on new brakes and roters for my old F250, I am guessing a bus’ brakes are a little more.

Do you think if all the kids walked a block or 2 to a bus stop, we could use the savings to improve the quality of education? Maybe even give teachers and bus drivers a much needed pay raise.

We put video cameras at stop lights, why not at bus stops, if security of the children is a reason for curbside service. I am even up for bringing home our troops and posting an armed Marine at the bus stop to protect the kids. That should also cut back on bullying and help with military recruitment.

Do children really need curbside service? If this so the parents can watch them from the safety and comfort of their home?

And we wonder why childhood obesity is on the rise.  Maybe a little  walk in the morning and the afternoon is just what the doctor ordered.

Do not get me wrong, I belive we should ensure our children get the best, but are we setting them up for success or failure with current busing practices?

This is just some thoughts from a small business owner and grateful tax payer who gets stuck behind a many school buses daily, while trying to “Improve the landscape of Hampton Roads, one yard at a time” and wonder how his tax dollars are being spent.

Posted in Community Stuff | 2 Comments »

Green Gardening…repurposing the “junk” in your yard. By Kregg Deur, owner of K&J Lawn and Garden Service LLC

April 3, 2011 by K&J Lawn and Garden Service LLC

Good morning Hampton Roads.  Kregg here, from K&J Lawn and Garden Service, with your Garden Tip of the Week.

 

In February I told you how to attract birds with a dripping milk jug, so what do you do with that old bird bath sitting in your yard?  Turn it into a succulent garden like one of my customers did.

 

First, dump out that dirty water that mosquitoes are breeding in. 

 

Add some fine gravel and put in your favorite succulents.  Recommend using hardy succulents such as Sedum or a great flowering annual, Moss Rose.  Many varieties of both are available at your local garden center.

          

So, now look around your yard for other unique planters. 

 

Got an old wheel barrel rusting away behind your shed?  Turn it into mobile garden, just add dirt and plant some herbs, vegetables or annuals.  Or do like one of my customers.  She fills her wheel barrel garden with a variety of bulbs, so the garden is always changing in the spring. 

If you find a unique gardening idea, please let us know. 

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Healthy Living…as close as your backyard. By Kregg Deur, owner K&J Lawn and Garden Service LLC, Chesapeake, VA

March 27, 2011 by K&J Lawn and Garden Service LLC

Good morning Hampton Roads, Kregg here, from K&J Lawn and Garden Service, with your Garden Tip of the Week.

 It’s that time of the year when I start preparing my vegetable garden, so thought I would share some tips on growing a favorite vegetable………or is it a fruit? 

The tomato

Now, before you run out to your local nursery or garden center to pick up some plants, I recommend you preheat the soil by covering the planting area with black plastic a couple of weeks before you intend to plant.  Preheating first will result in an earlier crop of tomatoes.

 

So once you’ve preheated your garden, bury the plants deep, about two thirds of it should be in the ground.  Tomato plants are able to develop roots all along their stems, so bury them for stronger, healthier and more fruitful plants.

 And here are just a few of the many benefits from both tomatoes and gardening:

  • Eating tomatoes can help improve skin texture and color,
  • protect your liver and dissolve gallstones
  • The Tomato is a natural antiseptic and gives you vitamin K, which helps to prevent hemorrhages
  • Tomatoes contain Lycopene, a powerful antioxidant that can fight cancer.

 Gardening is also a great way to relieve stress, get some physical exercise and be rewarded with healthy food. 

So get outside this weekend and start your own garden.

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This one is for the birds…

February 27, 2011 by K&J Lawn and Garden Service LLC

Good morning Hampton Roads.  Kregg here, from K&J Lawn and Garden Service with your Garden Tip of the Week and this one is for the birds…literally.

Besides being pretty to look at and providing some natural music, birds are also great at insect control.  So with the onset of mosquito season, you want to befriend as many birds as you can.

To attract birds to your yard, start with some running water.  If you don’t already have a pond or fountain, here is an easy way to add a little drip.

Get an old gallon milk jug, rinse it out and fill it with water.  Hang it in a tree, poke a hole in the bottom with a needle so that it drips at about one drop ever 10 seconds.  Then place a saucer under the jug to catch the water.  You might want to put the saucer on some bricks or a small table, since many birds do not like to drink on the ground.

 It will take about 2 days for the jug to empty and give the birds a fresh source of water.  You can also paint the jug green, so it will blend in with the tree foliage.

 Also, put out a variety of food for them.  Make it a buffet, with different seeds, suet and even fresh fruits.  Just like us, birds don’t want to eat the same stuff every day.  If you have been in the habit of dead heading your flowering plants, try to leave some for the birds.  By letting the dead flowers go to seed, you are giving the birds more variety.

Finally, ensure they have a place to live.  Not all birds need a house.  Some just need a platform, a hole in a tree or some thick brush to call home.

 

Now all you have to do is sit back and enjoy your garden with God’s feathered creatures.

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