The Green Industry's Resource Center

MikeRi24 · #**561** 03-12-2012, 07:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by greatinmulchbeds

Hey i dont mean anything negative only constructive criticism, but your design is a little to much of a "rainbow checkerboard". Try grouping the same plant in numbers of 3,5, or 7 and avoid the pink bush blue bush pink bush look. Been doing this a long time and just trying to pass some knowledge on! good luck man

Thanks for the input! I prob should have mentioned a few other background issues with this job...the biggest issue, and the main reason the customer wants everything re-done, is DEER! they are horrible in that area and will walk right up to the house and eat the plants. So I was trying to use plants that they will stay away from.

I agree with you on the grouping, and theres a LOT going on there. My original design had more grouping with it, and less plants. I didn't even have the korean boxwoods in there at all, and just had the azaleas with the dwarf alberta spruces at the corners. I also had more blue star junipers in the front row alternating with only 2 types of flowers instead of 3. In the front bed separate of the house, I also did not like the idea of having the 2 hollys there, as I thought it took away from the landscaping around the house. The 2 hollys and the burning bush on the far right are to kind of hide a fence thats there, and they wanted 1 burning bush somewhere so thats where I stuck it. As I mentioned, this has been a long time planning, and there were many revisions made to the plans at the customer's request. One unique thing thats NOT dictated in the 3D pictures, is the day lilies that I'm going to be using. My neighbor is a gene-ologist (idk if thats the technical term lol) for one of the nations top cancer research institutes in the county located here, and as a side hobby he cross-breeds day lilies to pretty much whatever you could dream up. I've used some of his "custom" plants before with great success, so he has some plants I'll be using for this job which will have a nice light pink and magenta flower that I think will go real nice with the azaleas as well as the colors of the house. There will also be some pink/red hanging baskets up around the front porch that are also not included in the design. Heres a picture of what the house actually looks like and what I'll be working with.

This is one great thing about having a program like this, because I took my laptop over there a few times and went over the design with them and changed things around and did different combinations of things. They had a few really horrible ideas that they were REALLY sold on, and I knew it wasn't going to look good, and bringing the computer over there and doing it up their way really showed them that it would have been a huge mistake. So what you see above is what they finally settled on....am I happy with the design? Not entirely, but I'm happy because the customer loves it. As mentioned before, there were a few things they wanted to do that put my foot down and flat out said no I'm not doing that but overall I think the design will work with the home.

HPSInc · #**562** 03-15-2012, 11:19 PM

not to take away from your topic at hand but i was wondering if you run mulch kits on any of your standers or just bag and discharge. since we are in the same area pretty much i was wondering if you have tried them or what you thought about running them on our types of lawns

MikeRi24 · #**563** 03-16-2012, 05:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HPSInc

not to take away from your topic at hand but i was wondering if you run mulch kits on any of your standers or just bag and discharge. since we are in the same area pretty much i was wondering if you have tried them or what you thought about running them on our types of lawns

I do not run the mulch kits. There are some properties that get bagged at all times, others that we will bag in the spring when the grass is really long and then discharge when it doesnt grow as much in the summer. I run the regular high-lift blades in the spring to pick up all the junk on the lawn, and then switch to gator blades in the summer to help chop up the clippings really fine for discharging.

To answer your other question, I wouldnt try running a mulch kit on the stander. It would prob work ok on some lawns, but I know I cut a lot of lawns where it wouldn't work at all and just make a mess. Theres just such a wide variety of grasses and lawn types here its hard to get one mower to do it all on all lawns.

HPSInc · #**564** 03-16-2012, 06:01 PM

yea i hear ya. im considering those gator blades for my vrides so i can mince the clippings up when i discharge. I talked to my dealer but he didnt have much to say. where do you get your blades do you go to dealer or order online?

MikeRi24 · #**565** 03-16-2012, 07:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HPSInc

yea i hear ya. im considering those gator blades for my vrides so i can mince the clippings up when i discharge. I talked to my dealer but he didnt have much to say. where do you get your blades do you go to dealer or order online?

J-Thomas. Only get them if you are putting a bigger order in though to take advantage of flat rate shipping. My dealers are great, but I try to only go there for parts in a pinch. Who are you dealing with for Scag?

HPSInc · #**566** 03-16-2012, 10:47 PM

I bought my scag 52 last year from niagara frontier in lockport but I just bought a scag 36 from Kens sales and service today. Going to buy from kens from here on out. They are much closer and are very good to deal with. what size baggers are you using on your standers? i think i need a bigger one for my 52''. the one i have fills up too fast. i thnk its just over 4 cubic feet. going to toss it on the 36 and would like something else for the 52.

NMS0219 · #**567** 03-17-2012, 10:12 AM

Ken's is awesome to deal with.

MikeRi24 · #**568** 03-17-2012, 08:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HPSInc

I bought my scag 52 last year from niagara frontier in lockport but I just bought a scag 36 from Kens sales and service today. Going to buy from kens from here on out. They are much closer and are very good to deal with. what size baggers are you using on your standers? i think i need a bigger one for my 52''. the one i have fills up too fast. i thnk its just over 4 cubic feet. going to toss it on the 36 and would like something else for the 52.

I have the 4.3 cu ft Grass Gobbler. I also have the leaf extender for it in the fall.