Finally!

___Welcome to the inaugural issue of “The Leaf”, Pampered Lawns’ monthly newsletter. We will be distributing an issue of “The Leaf” to our subscribers on the first Monday of each month. Each subscriber can get a variety of information including a "Plant of the Month" section that we recommend to our readers, along with ways to prepare for upcoming weather conditions, new techniques, and ways to save energy as well as money.
___As many of you know, we at Pampered Lawns, have been in the landscaping industry for over 40 years now. We created this newsletter to keep us connected with individuals interested in beautifying their landscape whether it be installing plants and trees or maintaining their current grounds. This newsletter helps the many individuals that are seeking answers to their landscaping questions along with improving your horticultural I.Q.
___What better way to get familiar with plants and helpful ways to maintain your piece of living earth, than from your trusted and experienced contractor, Pampered Lawns. With this newsletter, we are hoping to give important landscaping ideas to you so that you can make better decisions when it comes time to make additions to your contract. We are very excited about the start of our newsletter and would love to hear your feedback. Send us an email, let us know what you think. _________Comments

Water Conservation:

___With Spring already here and Summer around the corner, water conservation is always a high priority topic. Regularly scheduled checks of commercial irrigation systems can save property owners money in a number of ways.
___An up-to-date system conserves water by distributing adequate moisture for plant and grass growth. In addition, a properly working system prevents washouts to landscaped areas caused by over-watering and minimizes the hazard of standing water on walkways and landings.
___Timely repairs and/or updates to irrigation systems are substantially less expensive than the replacement costs in shrubs, plants and grasses lost to drought.
___The brain of a commercial irrigation system is the controller. With advances in technology each year, recent developments include: system programs with greater scheduling flexibility, built-in safeguards to the system which protect against program loss, and timekeeping clocks which continue to keep time during power outages.
___Licensed irrigation specialists at Pampered Lawns assist our customers with the planning, design, installation, and maintenance of commercial irrigation systems. Older commercial systems benefit from our regular maintenance inspections and can be updated and repaired as required. A properly inspected and maintained irrigation can easily improve your water usage or reduce your water usage by 20-40, sometimes 50 percent.
___Besides, with the U.S. wasting more than 1,400 gallons a year per four person family each year, we can stand to preserve what water our Earth has left. China is in a distant second to the U.S. by wasting 600 gallons a year per family.

Xeriscaping?

___What is xeriscaping? Simply stated, this is probably one of the most efficient and Earth friendly ways one can landscape a property or neighborhood. Xeriscaping is a type of landscape design for dry regions, minimizing the need for irrigation. Well, how would one go about doing this? A couple of the main ideas to use as a guideline are: planting native or using plants that are found in similar climates, and minimize the amount of turf on your yard. Doing so will not only save water, but it will lower your bill saving you money!
___This type of gardening and landscaping is definitely not for everyone. It requires special planning and pretty regular maintenance in order to keep things lively and looking great throughout the many growing seasons. This type of landscaping is work, but well worth it in areas where you would not otherwise be able to maintain a healthy garden or growing area around your home. Need help with your property transformation? Contact us here.

To Get Pampered:
For landscape assistance, maintenance or installation, please contact us at:

Houston
713(682)7442

President
Greg McNabb
gmcnabb@pamperedlawns.com

Vice Presidents
Jason McNabb
Manages: North & Central Offices
jmcnabb@pamperedlawns.com

Kelly (McNabb) Aylesworth
Manages: Southwest & Galveston Offices
kmcnabb@pamperedlawns.com

Maintenance Sales & Marketing
Jared McNabb
jaredm@pamperedlawns.com

Installation/Construction
Jay Hartley
jhartley@pamperedlawns.com

The Race is On! Fastest Growing Trees

Having fast growing trees installed on your property will not only give the landscape a more mature or completed look, but now, you don't have to wait as long for shade. With fast growing trees, they tend to be more disease resistant, drought tolerant, adaptability to soil and growing conditions, and tolerance to pollution and climate.
1. 2. 3. 4.
1. Royal Empress Tree -This is a flowering tree that can take a lot of abuse. It grows almost everywhere, from Mexico to Canada. With a growth rate of 15-18 ft per year, it has no significant insect or disease problems, tolerates drought, and grows in almost any kind of soil. It's a hardwood tree that lives for awhile.
2. Willow Hybrid Tree - The Willow Hybrid grows up to 6+ ft. a year; filling out to create a solid green wall. Willow Hybrid trees are very effective at blocking out what you don't want to see or creating privacy where it is needed and makes an effective wind barrier as well.
3. Lombardy Poplars - With a growth pattern of 6+ ft. a year, this tree is valued for its fast growth habits and green color, Lombardy Poplars can mature quickly into a row of tall, visually pleasing trees.
4. Eucalyptus - With this fast grower, there are no leaves to rake. It keeps its foliage year-round. Wonderful in flower arrangements, with its showy leaves. Plus its fresh, clean aroma will fill your home for days. Also, Eucalyptus's aroma naturally repels fleas and ticks away from your yard. For added protection, put some leaves under your pet's bed or in areas where they like to sleep.

Hurricane Season Around the Bend!

___Don't quite yet start evacuating Houston. Over at www.beaumontenterprise.com, an actual scientific forecast released in April predicted, "A below average season without focusing on the far more slippery question of precisely where the storms would make landfall."
___The University of Colorado Tropical Meteorology project predicted twelve named storms and six hurricanes, two of which are predicted to progress into intense hurricanes in its second update of its 2009 hurricane season forecast.
___Apparently, this is an average season, reduced from a December prediction of fourteen named storms, seven hurricanes and three intense hurricanes. The odds are around a 54% chance of landfall in the U.S.
___What's the cause of this "shrinking" in the hurricane prediction? Global warming? Maybe. The report, authored by Philip J. Klotzbach and William M. Gray, explained that "the forecast reduction was due to the expectation that current weak La Nina conditions would transform to neutral or possibly weak El Nino conditions by the start of hurricane season." El Nino conditions would "tend to increase levels of vertical wind shear and decrease levels of Atlantic hurricane activity."
___" 'Everyone should realize that it is impossible to precisely predict this season's hurricane activity in early April,' the report states, adding that the model used to generate the prediction correctly predicted an above average season last year."
___"It is also important that the reader appreciate that these seasonal forecasts are based on statistical schemes which, owing to their intrinsically probabilistic nature, will fail in some years."
___As stated above, this forecast shouldn't cause you to not be prepared. With June 1st (hurricane season) a month away and Houston on the gulf coast, being ready for the worst should always be in the back of your mind. In the case of a hurricane or storm, Pampered Lawns has teams at stand-by to access the damages. Please make yourself aware of the possibilities, have a route planned, and a checklist at hand awaiting for the worst.

For more info on the hurricane season please visit: www.noaa.gov and here for a hurricane checklist.

Budget Cuts!
__ Should I Mulch?

___With people trying to find ways to maximize their budget, one question comes to mind, what should we cut?
___Why should we mulch and what are the benefits from mulching? For starters, a layer of mulch will help prevent the germination of many weed seeds, reducing the need for cultivation or the use of herbicides. That alone is beneficial. But wait, there's more. Mulch also helps moderate the soil temperature and retain moisture during dry weather, reducing the need for watering. Mulch protects the soil from the impact of raindrops that can cause crusting. Crusting is known to prevent the germination of seedlings.
__Mulch is nature's blanket. It covers the soil to keep it warm during colder seasons, especially dealing with the "flash" cold fronts we have here in East Texas. It's the utility player in the world of horticulture. So why not incorporate it into your landscape, and give back to your plants?