Save Money With Hydroseed

This is a project we just completed which is a good example of how hydroseed can save you money.

Our customer is building a new home and doing a lot of work himself to save money.   We installed the irrigation system, he brought dirt in and did most of the grading himself,  then we sprayed his lawn area with hydroseed.

He has around 11,000 square feet of lawn area.     Existing irrigation was crucial for this project.  Can you imagine dragging hoses around to water 11,000 square feet of lawn a day.... Yikes!  We have the irrigation controller set to come on 4 times a day to keep the hydroseed mix wet so the seed will germinate.

I hope he has his mower tuned up because he should be mowing it in about 3 weeks!



Here are some pictures of the final product about 2 months after we sprayed the hydroseed.

The proof is in the pudding as they say.


He had 13,000 square feet of area

that needed grass.   We calculated
the savings of hydroseed over sod.

and we probably saved our customer

close to $6,000.00!

That's money in his pocket!





Call us if you need a quote for hydroseed!

OLM Industries Inc.
Outdoor Landscape Makeovers
253-261-2700

Thanks for reading the blog!
Derrik Tribble
The Lawn Psychologist

OLM "Summer Projects"

I enjoy writing for the blog and giving people ideas to improve their landscape.  

It's also neat to "see the results" of the different projects that we cover in the blog.  In the form of a "final product.

I guess it validates what we write and shows folks who have a green thumb that these ideas work and they truly make a difference in improving your landscape.

The proof is in the pudding as they say...  Here are some of the projects that we've been working on this summer.  

I hope they inspire you to start or continue your landscape projects!

One of our most popular posts is our "paver patio" post.   Here is a paver patio that we installed for some folks to go from their back yard patio, around their flower beds and into their front yard.

Eventually, we want to tear out the concrete patio and finish the entire patio with landscape pavers!  

Barking Jobs!

We've blogged about the advantages of beauty bark and mulch. 

 Here are some of the people who took advantage of great bark prices and made their properties look great!

Irrigation repair and maintenance:   

The pacific northwest get's a lot of rain every year.  Don't let anyone tell you otherwise. :)

However, the weather does eventually get warm enough to warrant irrigation.  

And if you don't have it... you'll be wishing you did.  

Or at least your plants and grass will be wishing they did.

Here we are, making sure everything stays green in the Evergreen State!

No matter what your project is.... give us a call for a free estimate and see how we can help you accomplish your landscaping goals!

The benefits of Hydroseeding

People who are thinking about installing a new lawn are always looking for cost efficient ways to do so.  

While most people like sod because of the "instant gratification" it provides.... one day you have dirt, the next day you have a lush green yard.  The cost of sod combined with the labor to put it down makes it an expensive method for new turf.   Hyrdroseeding can be done for between 60%-70% less than sod.  The bigger area you have to hydroseed, the more the cost savings.

Hydroseed is a combination of water, grass seed, mulch to keep the seeds moist to promote germination, fertilizer to nourish the new grass and tackifier so it will bond to the soil to prevent erosion.   One misconception of hyrdroseed is that you don't have to water it.  While the name may imply that, the "hydro" part of the word comes from the way it's put down which is the slurry mix described above as it's blown through a hose onto your future lawn area.  The ingredients in hydroseed helps it to retain water 10 times better than grass seed alone, but this does not mean that you don't have to water it after it's applied.  If its not consistently raining, then you do have to keep it moist for it to have the best opportunity to grow evenly and flourish.  Generally hydroseed takes 2 to 3 weeks for it to grow in.   Having irrigation is the ideal method for hydroseed to be most effective.

Hydroseed has a myriad of applications.   From residential lawns, erosion control, dust control and camouflaging large areas of dirt that are unsightly and turn into big mud holes during the rainy season.

Hydroseed has come a long way and now offer different mixtures that fit specific commercial and residential  needs.  A few of the different mixtures are lawn mixes, pasture mixes, wildflower mixes, erosion control mixes, wildlife foodplot mixes and wetland mixes.  (just to name a few) :)

We have had great success coming into condominium and apartment complexes with large areas of grass that have developed "bare spots" over time and filled those areas in with hydroseed to get rid of the unsightly bare spots.

Maybe your a "do it yourselfer" who is installing a new yard.  You bring in the topsoil, do the grading, maybe even put in an irrigation system.  Let us spray hydroseed to complete the project so you can enjoy your new lawn in a short time.

The most cost effective way to incorporate hyrdroseed is to have around 1,000 square feet and above.

Whatever your needs are, let us give you a quote for hydroseed just to see if we can help you out and save you some money!

www.olympiclawn.com
253-261-2700

Thanks for reading the blog!
Derrik Tribble
The Lawn Psychologist

Put some beauty bark down and enjoy your summer!

It's amazing how certain senses trigger emotion and memories... Certain smells for example have a way of taking you back to a place you haven't been since you were young or maybe remind you of a certain time of year.   The smell of a Christmas tree in the winter time,  a freshly cut lawn in the spring, that wonderful smell after a warm summer rain.   One smell that always lets me know it's summertime is the unmistakable smell of fresh bark in the landscape.

Of course, there are lots of reasons you would want a fresh layer of bark or mulch in your landscape during the summer.  For one, it saves you time.  Saves you time?  How can this be?   I'll tell you... One great advantage of putting beauty bark in your shrub beds is it's ability to keep those pesky weeds at bay so you can enjoy the nice weather doing things other than weeding,  which very few people enjoy... except for me!  :)

There are a number of mulch products available.  Some have advantages and disadvantages.  For example, organic mulch can be tilled into your soil to provide nutrients to your plants in the fall, but insects also like it because it provides a cool damp place to get away from the heat in the summer.  This is more problematic in other parts of the country.   Here in the Pacific Northwest, we do not really have insect problems... for the most part.  If you do, they were probably there before you put the mulch down to begin with.  Besides, who doesn't like a cute little earwig?   :)   I wouldn't let it deter you from making your yard look great for the summer.

I prefer inorganic bark mulch myself.  Commonly known as beauty bark.   Let me tell you some other advantages to applying beauty bark to your shrub beds.  It acts as erosion control during hard rains, which also prevents dirt from splashing up against your plants or your house during rain storms.   

Another advantage is that it acts as a blanket which protects your plants against freezing temperatures during the winter months.   In the summer time when it gets hot, the beauty bark lowers the temperature of the soil and retains moisture to keep your plants and trees nice and healthy.  Just don't cover your plant with it.  You should leave a little "bark ring" around your plants so the bark doesn't prevent the water from getting to the plant.

These are all practical benefits to bark and mulch.   But I think the biggest benefit to bark is how great it will make your yard look!   

It's a quick and easy way to give your landscape a fresh look for everyone to enjoy!   

More importantly, beauty bark right has drastically come down in price which makes it a cost effective way to make your landscape look great!

We have great resources for beauty bark when it comes to quality and price so give our office a call and let us give you a free quote and take advantage of the benefits beauty bark has to offer!

www.olympiclawn.com

253-261-2700

Thanks for reading the blog!

Derrik Tribble

The Lawn Psychologist

Install Paver Patios for a Summer Hangout...

I recently blogged about how much I love flagstone patios and how much of a dramatic change in your landscape they can make.  I want to continue with the same theme, except provide an alternative choice to flagstone.  In some cases... a more cost effective choice.  

Paver Patios are an elegant way to enhance your landscape.   I truly love incorporating a "courtyard" feel to a landscape.  Paver patios is a big step towards creating this look.   You would be surprised that cost for pavers is extremely competitive with concrete.  However, it simply can't be beat in terms of looks.  Especially as an alternative to a typical poured concrete slab . It's a bit more than standard concrete and less than stamped concrete.  It also cost less than flagstone due to the cost of flagstone material.

Many folks are downsizing now a days from larger homes into condos and town homes.   Generally the backyards for these types of dwellings are extremely small and the landscape budget has already been spent on the rest of the building leaving the owner with a landscape that is for lack of a better term.... "lack luster."

Imagine getting rid of the grass that never grows, the shrubs that are "hanging by a thread" and creating your own personal mini-courtyard that you can enjoy year round.   If done properly, paver patios require almost no maintenance so you can throw the lawn mower away!   Add a few pots and planters around your new outdoor living space and you would think your in pioneer square, downtown Seattle!

Other applications that hardscape pavers are used for is driveways, patios, pathways, fire pit areas and a place to put that darn bar-b-q.  :)

We are always running specials on pavers, so please contact us for a free estimate!

www.olympiclawn.com
253-261-2700

Thanks for reading the blog!
Derrik Tribble
The Lawn Psychologist.

Flagstone Pathways.... What a delight!

If your looking out at your yard as the weather starts to get nicer and the word "boring" comes to mind... than your probably no different than most people.   I have a nice green lawn, I have shrubs around the perimeter of the grass and they look nice too.   But so does everyone else....  

If your looking for a way to really change the look of your landscape and take it from "same ole' same ole'" to "WOW"... Flagstone could be your solution!   The great thing about flagstone path ways and patios is how nice they look and that it also serves a practical purpose.   

For example, is your lawn mower sit in a shed in the corner of the yard?   Do you drag the bar-b-q out in the grass during the summer time to cook up steaks?   Do you have a certain path you always travel to get from the front to the back?   Creating a flagstone path or patio for these commonly used areas, turns a "generic" looking landscape into one with character and beauty.  Add some perennials beds around the border and you've created a quaint english garden that you can enjoy year after year!

The type of flagstone varies in color and texture to accommodate any "look" your going for.  Your imagination is your only limit!  

There are two types of flagstone "options" you may want.   One is sand set and the other is mortar set.  Sand set pathways allow you to plant ground cover between the flagstone to fill in over time.  Mortar set gives you a hard "grout like" look between the flagstone which allows for easier maintenance as weeds and grass cannot grow between the flagstone.   The mortar set is more laborious and makes it more expensive than the sand set.  Personally I like the sand set because I like the look of moss, thyme between the flagstone to give it more character.   

The great thing about flagstone to me is that the older it gets.... the better it looks!   A mature looking landscape is most desirable and with proper maintenance you can accomplish this!

We are currently running specials on flagstone projects.   Please visit our website and contact us for a free estimate!

www.olympliclawn.com

253-261-2700

Thanks for checking out the blog!

Derrik Tribble

The lawn psychologist

Grass Pavers

If your someone who owns a boat, camper or RV... you know how problematic it is to find the space to park them. It's an eye soar in front of your home and secured parking is too costly.

How about that unused space on the side of the house or around back? Perfect... At least until summer time comes and you take your boat or RV out a few times, the grass settles, you start developing wheel divots or worse yet... a big mud hole in your beautiful lawn where you park your boat.

There is a solution for this. It's called a grass paver. It's a plastic honeycomb shaped product which when laid down a bed of gravel, distributes the weight of a vehicle so you don't create holes and divots. After you lay the grass pave on the gravel, you cover it with sand, then sod. Give the area two mowing cycles for the grass roots to grow in and now you can drive over the new area without fear of tearing up your landscape.

Grass pave is commonly used at apartment buildings or other large buildings where they incorporate a large grassy common area or field into a fire lane or parking. Other applications are church/big event parking, pedestrian walkways and cow paths, emergency access, golf cart pathways.   If you have a gravel driveway with big "pot holes" that you continue to repair time and time agian.... this product keeps the gravel where you want it... eliminating this common problem!

The home owners in these pictures re-modeled their garage and did want the concrete driveway to come right up to their new viewing window. They wanted it to look like the "rest of the yard" while still having the ability to still use it as a normal driveway. A "green driveway" you could say.

We think it looks great!

Please contact us and we can give you a free quote for a project just like this!
www.olympiclawn.com    Thanks for reading the blog!

Derrik Tribble
The Lawn Psychologist