Cleator Landscape Design article in San Diego Magazine
For any of you who missed our article in San Diego Magazine here you go.
Also we wanted to thank all of our clients and supporters for a another great year and to a prosperous 2016. 
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Cleator Landscape Design feature on Tierra Y Fuego
When you are in need of tile for your Spanish Revival home here is San Diego the first and only place to go is Tierra Y Fuego. They have the widest selection of tile with a Spanish influence, everything from the more traditional to slightly modern. The showroom and customer service is outstanding. The were also kind enough to showcase one of our designs on their website, its a beautiful water feature we designed for a project in Carmel Mountain. http://www.tierrayfuego.com/andaluz-tiles-ceramic-tile.html . Take a look and I am sure you will find the inspiration for your next tile project. If you would like to have Cleator Landscape Design create a tile installation for your property please contact us at 619.917.3644
Cleator Landscape Design featured in San Diego Magazine
Cleator Landscape Design is proud to announce that we are featured in the December issue of San Diego Magazine’s “Ask the Experts” section. Please take a look as it’s an honor to be included in such a fine local magazine.
San Diego’s El Nino is unlikely to end our drought
Here in San Diego we are facing another heat wave only a month after we received more rain then ever recorded in the month of July. Things are all mixed up and if the scientist are correct we are in for even more changes. They are saying that a strong El Nino continues to build in the Pacific and its looking like Southern California will be slammed with heavier then normal winter rains. However that in no way means that we are in the clear and the drought is a thing of the past. We would need years of above average rain to offset the deficit so one strong winter is unlikely going to fix the problem, also as we know weather is never guaranteed. Here are a few scenarios that could leave us even higher and drier.
Big El Nino storms hit Southern California but miss Northern California where we store a large percentage of your states water supply in reservoirs.
The storms that due arrive are too warm and fail to increase our snowpack. Snowpacks provided 1/3 of our states water and that water is released more slowly as it melts which is better for us and the environment.
The “blob” as its been called is a huge mass of warm high pressure air that has been sitting off the west coast for years (causing our current drought) and redirecting storms away from us could block El Nino sending them east and away from us.
Despite the highly likelihood of heavier then normal rains forecaster for this winter we cant, go back to our old ways of tropical plants and large lush lawns. Southern California is a desert with a ever-growing population all trying to get their share of a dwindling water supply. We need to understand that weather patterns are changing and we need to use whatever water supply we have in a more responsible way no matter what this winter holds for us.
If you would like to have Cleator Landscape Design create a drought tolerant landscape for your property please contact us at 619.917.3644
San Diego landscape maintenance
As we entry into August here is San Diego now is a good time to take care of your mid summer landscape chores. One big chore this time of year is to check for leaks along your drip irrigation lines before your plants dry out completely and die. I also recommend that you prune all sucker growth off your deciduous fruit trees as well as giving your roses a light summer pruning to help them get ready for the coming fall weather. If you compost now would be the time to water your compost pile a bit, the dampness helps the beneficial bacterial do the dirty work, you should also be turning the pile every week or so to help speed up the process. If you still have some lawn now is the time to dethatch if the thatch is thicker then half an inch. I recommend using a dethatching mower or dethacthing rake followed by reseeding the area and add a organic fertilizer. These tips should help get you through the coming month.
If you are interested in having Cleator Landscape Design create a beautiful low maintenance outdoor space for your home please contact us at 619.917.3644
11 trillion gallons
11 trillion gallons of water is what California needs to offset the current drought. That would take 3 years of higher then normal rainfall to offset our depleted reserves and with only about 1 year of water currently in storage its clear that we need to eliminate lawns and water thirsty plants now as in today, right now. The state has imposed numerous restrictions including limiting the number of days you can irrigate to two days and you cant water for two days after rain events. Its clear that we are in serious peril, with snow packs are all but gone, lakes and reservoir shrinking and ground water being depleted from 1200′ wells. Its going to be a nightmare when taps run dry in the coming years and we face a massive water crisis. That’s the bad news, so what can we do now in San Diego to help reduce the pressure we put on our limited water? Well when it comes to the landscape for starters no more lawns at all, none. Second is to plant low water use plants, use mulch as needed to help conserve soil moisture and install a water efficient irrigation system with a weather and rain sensor as well as capture as much rainfall as possible. If that all seems to difficult we could always reroute the entire daily output of the Amazon river basin into the state of California and let it run non stop for nearly two days to make up all the water we are missing.
If you would like to have Cleator Landscape Design create a low water use landscape for your property please contact us at 619.917.3644
Landscape Design San Diego
Here in San Diego we are all aware of just how expensive home are and with such a premium we need to utilize every square inch to its maximum. So no mater the size of your yard you can transform that space from a under utilized cracked concrete slab for example into an extension of your home with some creative idea. Some quick points to remember are to envision how you want to use the space and how that would pair with your homes style. Then think about what areas you might need to open up or screen off. When it comes to plant and material selection take extra care for they need to be well thought out for each one will have a greater impact then it would in a larger landscape. Don’t forget to look to design accents that will help bring it all together with the home and help draw you into your new outdoor space. These pointers along with a handful of other(we cant give it all away) will help you in creating a small outdoor space that will live larger then it really is.
If you are interested in have Cleator Landscape Design create a outdoor living space for your property please contact us at 619.917.3644
Be a friend, Landscape Design San Diego
Here in San Diego as across the world bees are in decline. I know I have spoken about this before, but I found a great little product that you can use to help give these vital pollinators a helping hand. Beside avoiding pesticides in your garden and planting bee friendly plants, you can help out by installing a bee house. Now these great looking homes are constructed out of scrap wood making them even more eco friendly and should be installed on the southwest side of your home with a little protection from the elements. With the ability to visit close to 20 blooms in a minute bees can quickly help get your garden back in shape and blooming like never before, all the while your helping out your garden allies.
worldreclaimed.com
If your looking for to redesign your outdoor space please contact Cleator Landscape Design at 619.917.3644
Landscape design for the end of summer
Here in San Diego summer has come to a close, but that in no way means you cant still get out and enjoy all the garden has to offer.
September is still a beautiful month here(we really dont have any bad ones anyways) but its also a great time to do a little yard work. I highly recommend pruning your Pennisteum now so they will have had time to rebound by winter when most gardens could benefit from the movement they provide. Feeding roses one last time along with your established trees and shrubs is another great idea. You can also start buying and planting bulbs such as Daffodil to set early. These are just a few ideas on how to keep your outdoor space humming right along as we traverse out of summer here in San Diego.
If you would like to have Cleator Landscape Design help create a beautiful outdoor space for your property please contact us at 619.917.3644
Landscape Design in San Diego
Landscaping design in San Diego can mean different things to different people, but the common thread is drought resistant. For good reason, we are in the midst of a serious drought and with all the other factors such as increasing regional temperatures and population growth we must do what we can to save every drop. I’m not promoting we all leave with barren landscapes, far from it. Properly landscaped areas help reduce run off, cool surround air, give wildlife a home, and clean the air among many other wonderful things we all need to survive. So today I wanted to share with you a few San Diego appropriate plants that you can incorporate into your garden.
California Fushia with its scarlet flowers which hummingbirds adore and it ability to handle tough conditions, its a real standout.
Matilija Poppy has large white blooms with the feel of paper mache, great drainage is a must.
Deer Grass is a beautiful native grass that can handle a wide array of conditions without missing a beat.
Cleveland Sage is another native that displays great blueish purple flowers while provided a nice aroma.
Coyote Bush is a “go to” plant for the worst conditions you have to face here in San Diego.
All these plants plus many others can beautify your without putting additional strain on our environment.
If you would like to have Cleator Landscape Design create a beautiful outdoor space that is easy on the environment, please contact us at 619.917.3644
Landscape maintenance San Diego
Here is San Diego we are blessed with a surplus of landscape maintenance companies to select from. However the overwhelming majority of the them are unprofessional and at best a “mow and blow” service. That may be fine for some people, but even the most basic landscape stills needs some level of care. When was the last time you saw an abandoned lot and said “wow look how nice that yard looks”, every yard need looking after.
With the popularity of drought tolerant landscapes people think they are “no maintenance” that is completely false. Yes the may require less maintenance then a formal cottage garden but they still need looking after by a trained individual that has a vested interest in the success of that outdoor space. So please select a maintenance company not on how cheap they are but on successful examples of other property they maintain. Then speak with the homeowners of these projects to see how much of the work they are really doing themselves, you may be surprised that they do all the fine tuning while the gardens do only the mowing and weed pulling.
As the homeowner you take great pride in your property and we both know that you spent a great deal of money to achieve a certain look, the designer too has poured their heart into the success of the space only to have a guy with a mower and blower come wreck the whole thing for $75 bucks a month. No matter how great the design all landscapes can be ruined without proper maintenance, so please pick your maintenance company with as much care as you selected your landscape designer for we are counting on it.
If you would like to have Cleator Landscape Design create a beautiful outdoor space for your property please contact us at 619.917.3644
San Diego’s drought and lawn removal.
I just wanted to write a quick blog post today about the drought. I know that unless you leave under a rock everyone here in San Diego knows about the drought, but I wanted to give the single best tip on helping to ease our water emergency.
Remove your lawn, that’s it.
Cover your lawn with 6-8 layers of newspaper, then top it off with 6 ” of aged steer manure and let it all sit for about 4 months (if you have a bermuda lawn then strip the lawn first with a spade). The newspaper and manure will kill the lawn and prep the soil for future drought resilient plants such as Ceanothus and Arctostaphylos among others.
By doing this one thing we can vastly reduce our dependance on imported water while equally reducing your water bill. If you are interested in having Cleator Landscape Design create a beautiful drought tolerant outdoor space for your property please contact us at 619.917.3644