Perennials that Suit the Iowa Landscape

Jake Kruse is an entrepreneur in Salem, Iowa, who maintains a business as dog breeder and also guides K & E Landscapes, Inc. Working closely with home and business owners, he coordinates landscape design and yard maintenance services that add to curb appeal. In particular, Jake Kruse is knowledgeable about perennial plants that thrive across Iowa’s four seasons.

When it comes to perennials in sunny areas of the yard, daffodils brighten up the garden in the early spring. Often paired with tulips, creeping phlox can be incorporated in rock gardens and along slopes, offering a loose groundcover that can be kept full and compact simply by shearing after blooming. A native of the Iowa prairies, echinacea purpurea has distinctive purple petals and is hardy enough to survive nearly any climate. Attracting butterflies and bees, it is also favored by bird species such as goldfinches when the flowers are allowed to go to seed.

When it comes to shady, moist areas of a property, a number of native ferns add verdure. These include intermediate wood fern and northern maidenhair fern. Woodland native plants such as goats-beard, which can reach a half dozen feet, and ligularia “the rocket” add striking floral elements to the mix. These perennials thrive with a couple inches of mulch material, which helps to retain moisture and suppress weeds.

Mulching a Tree or Larger Plant

Based in Salem, Iowa, Jake Kruse is an established dog breeder and the president of K & E Landscapes, Inc. Jake Kruse has an extensive knowledge of mulching and maintenance strategies that help ensure the health of trees and plants throughout the year.

When it comes to mulching, organic materials such as bark, leaves, and wood chips tend to work the best in helping recycle and replenish nutrients in the soil. In addition to preventing evaporation-related moisture loss, mulch insulates the soil and provide the roots with protection from extremes in seasonal temperatures. Inhibiting plant disease in aerated, well-drained soil, mulch also provides a barrier to the growth of weeds. Because mulch breaks down over time, it does need to be replenished on an annual basis.

When it comes to larger trees and shrubs, a key is identifying the dripline, which should encircle the trunk at a point that matches the branch circumference. This is where rain will drip from the tree and the ideal placement for a 2- to 4-inch deep mulch ring. The appearance of the mulch should be like a donut around the trunk, rather than a volcano. Depending on conditions, the volcano shape can retain too much moisture in the root zone, which can cause rot, or it can keep water from penetrating the soil and nourishing the root system.

Integrating Hardscapes into Landscaping

Based in Salem, Iowa, Jake Kruse is an established dog breeder and the leader of K&E Landscapes, Inc. Jake Kruse works with homeowners to incorporate hardscapes that include paved walkways, patios, outdoor fireplaces, fountains, benches, or gazebos,

Large, flat flagstones are popular hardscaping elements. Homeowners can use the stones as traditional stepping stones or flooring for a fire pit or rustic patio.

Brick chips in brown and red are inexpensive, versatile options for lining the sides of walkways and driveways. Marble chips add a luxurious touch to the yard while functioning as mulch when placed around flower beds and trees. However, homeowners should not use them around plants that prefer lower temperatures since marble retains more heat than wood mulch.

Low-maintenance pea gravel is a popular option for patios and paths and filling gaps in the hardscape. River rocks are aesthetically pleasing elements that can serve as dry creek beds to drain water away from the house when it rains.

Selecting an Ideal Cool-Season Grass

Jake Kruse is a Southeast Iowa dog breeder and the owner and president of K&E Landscapes, Inc. For his landscaping clients, Jake Kruse selects grasses that will help a lawn thrive throughout the year.

Perennial ryegrass is a popular choice among families with high-traffic lawns. Durable and able to withstand heavy use, ryegrass spreads quickly to cover bare patches. However, ryegrass can be slow to recover from damage and is not suited to temperatures below freezing.

Kentucky bluegrass creates a dense turf tolerant of shade and sun and performs well in Iowa’s climate. This grass possesses rhizomes that allow it to repair root systems easily. Disease- and weed-resistant, Kentucky bluegrass does require abundant watering throughout the growing season. After it is established, the grass responds to temporary drought conditions by going dormant, which helps protect its integrity in hot summers.

A third popular choice for grass is fine fescue, which is drought- and barren soil-tolerant. Not requiring as much watering as its counterparts, fine fescue is vulnerable to too much water and intense heat. For many families, this grass works best in shady areas without much traffic.

Water Features in Landscape Design

A landscape designer in Iowa, Jake Kruse also works as a dog breeder. Serving both residential and commercial clients, dog breeder Jake Kruse offers landscaping services that include creating patios and sidewalks, planting trees, and installing outdoor water features.

Natural waterscape designs can complement the natural ecosystem and create an idyllic backyard paradise. When incorporating water elements into a landscaping design, designers should attempt to imitate nature. For example, an irregular-shaped pond surrounded by real rocks and pebbles gives the impression of a naturally occurring pond, where plants grow wild and freely.

Water features are not only aesthetically appealing, they can also create a soothing auditory experience for homeowners. To incorporate the soothing sound of moving water into a landscape layout, designers can install circulation pumps or a flowing stream to create water movement.

Additionally, water features can attract wildlife to a backyard or garden. A fountain will appeal to birds, deer, and more. If the design includes a pond, adding fish or snails can help maintain a balanced ecosystem.

Hardscape Features Boost Home Value

A successful Iowa dog breeder, Jake Kruse has also worked as a landscaper with K&E Landscapes since 2002. In addition to his work as a dog breeder, Jake Kruse designs and creates landscaping features such as retaining walls, patios, and decorative concrete curbs.

Installing hardscape designs as part of outdoor remodels can be a valuable investment for homeowners, according to a report from the National Association of Realtors and the National Association of Landscape Professionals. Whether homeowners are planning to stay in the house or sell, the Remodeling Impact Report concludes that adding retaining walls, patios, or other hardscape features adds value to the home.

In many areas, hardscape features can protect a home from damage. A retaining wall, for example, prevents damage to landscaping (or the home itself) in the case of extreme rain. Seat walls can add further protection from the elements, along with privacy and aesthetic appeal. Hardscape elements such as patios and paver walkways provide an opportunity to install energy-efficient lighting, which increases safety and adds ambiance.

Principles of Landscaping Design

An accomplished dog breeder, Jake Kruse is an experienced landscaper who draws upon more than two decades of professional experience. Since founding K&E Landscapes in 2002, he has served as the owner and president of the Salem, Iowa based firm. Jake Kruse has expertise in various areas of landscaping including landscaping design.

Landscaping design involves arranging different land features to achieve both practicality and aesthetic beauty. Whether you’re planning to research for ideas or come up with your own customized landscaping design, achieving the best design should be guided by the following principles.

A House is a Key Part of a Garden

A house in most cases is the most dominant structure in any garden. This means all your landscaping ideas, designs and plans should start and end with the house. The best approach is to always work from the house as you move outwards.

Incorporate Color

Color is an important landscaping element as it brings a dimension of life into a space. Find a way to creatively use warm colors and cool colors to achieve the desired effect. Warm colors such as orange and red make objects appear closer, while cooler colors such as green and blue are favored for creating perspectives as they draw attention away from you.

Unity

Unity aims to create repetition and consistency of a landscaping design. Repeating various elements such as décor and plants is aimed at bringing unity in a landscape design. Consistency creates unity by fusing together different landscaping elements in order to come up with a theme.

Long-Term Planning for Successful

Based in southeast Iowa, Jake Kruse is a longtime dog breeder and landscaping business owner who heads K & E Landscapes, Inc., where he provides client-focused residential and commercial services. Jake Kruse works closely with homeowners to understand their concepts and ideas and make informed recommendations on planting and hardscapes.

A key consideration when planning any design is to think carefully about how it will evolve in future years. When it comes to trees and large shrubs, growing is a year-round process and some species are known for sending down extensive root systems. Unfortunately, these may be on a gradual collision course with underground utilities, including septic tanks and plumbing systems. To avoid this, consider trees that form shallow root systems, such as cherry and dogwood.

Another common issue is planting before hardscaping features have been fully conceptualized and integrated. This can result in major uprooting and replanting, as vegetation needs to be reconfigured to conform with permanent features such as stepping stones, retaining walls, and patios. Always ensure that the hardscape is installed before shrubs, trees, and flowers are set in the earth so that you can precisely calibrate what vegetation can be comfortably accommodated.

Natural Ways of Preventing Deer

Jake Kruse is a longtime Southeast Iowa dog breeder who operates K&E Landscapes, Inc., and provides a full range of commercial and residential solutions. One area of extensive knowledge for Jake Kruse is strategies for deer-proofing the lawn and garden.

It is a fact of life that deer are attracted to plants and flowers, particularly in the spring, as blossoms appear and vegetables take off. Preferred plants include dogwood, roses, and English ivy. One nontoxic way to prevent deer from entering one’s property is through the use of sprayed repellents with pungent aromas, such as eggs, garlic, and even soap and water. An effective taste-based repellent is chili pepper, which can be sprayed on blossoms and leaves.

Another option is to select herbs and flowers that generate strong scents deer find unappetizing. Among these are lavender, marigolds, and sage, which can be strategically placed near foliage that deer would otherwise go for, including yew, azaleas, and pansies. There are also a number of plants that present a bitter flavor, including ferns, yarrow, and poppies.

Another option is to cultivate thick hedges of plants such as red cedar, mountain laurel, and boxwood. Acting as a physical barrier, they also prevent deer from peering into the garden and gaining a view of plants they might be attracted to.

The Different Bunts in Baseball

For nearly two decades, experienced dog breeder Jake Kruse has served K&E Landscapes as a professional landscaper. Beyond his activities as a dog breeder and landscaper, Jake Kruse enjoys being outdoors. His interests include boating, fishing, and coaching youth baseball.

Youth baseball coaches are tasked with teaching young players the finer points of the game. The bunt, for example, is an offensive tactic known to even the most casual baseball fans. It is the role of a coach, however, to educate young players about the various types of bunts and when they should be utilized.

A basic bunt involves a batter laying their bat over the strike zone, parallel to the ground, and blocking the ball into play, rather than taking a swing. It is often used as a surprise tactic, though fast runners may implement the bunt more often. That said, there are several types of sacrifice bunts, which are bunts designed to get the batter thrown out at first base as a means of advancing other runners.

Most, but not all, sacrifice bunts involve a base runner advancing from second to third at the expense of the batter. With this in mind, a sacrifice bunt is usually reserved for scenarios in which the offense has no outs and is not at risk for a double play. If a runner is attempting to advance from third to home, coaches may call for a squeeze bunt, which involves the base runner taking off for home a moment before the pitch is delivered.

Finally, youth baseball coaches should introduce players to the drag bunt. This is a carefully directed bunt intended to land the batter safely on first base. Right-handed batters attempt to guide the ball along the third base line, while left-handers target the first base line, requiring infielders to throw over or around the base runner headed to first. Left-handed batters have the advantage of starting closer to first base, while right-handed batters force a longer throw from the left side of the infield.