Posted by rocksolid on March 12, 2012 Welcome to the inaugural blog post for Rock Solid Landscaping&Irrigation! We look forward to connecting and communicating with you in coming months — especially now that we can see a glimpse of spring ahead.With our warmer weather this winter, trees and shrubs are starting to show early signs of spring fever. Some displayed signs of budding back in late December or early January. We’ve had a stretch of colder weather and some snow, but many are concerned about these early signs. They want to know if this recent activity has damaged their trees or shrubs.We think everything will be fine. We’ve seen the last of the really cold, sub-arctic weather. An extended period of very cold temperatures, and no moisture, could potentially have done harm to trees and shrubs. However, that doesn’t seem very likely going forward. In March, our average daily temperatures rise from 34° at the start of the month, to 49° by the 31st. With temperatures this week in the 60s and 70s, it definitely seems the worst is behind us and our warm winter continues into an early spring.  ...read more

Posted by admin on April 23, 2012 One of the best things you can do for your garden or landscape is tomulch. Mulching is the application of bark chips, organic materials, or even rock to create a bed around garden plants. Mulch helps retain moisture, keeps out weeds, and shades plant roots—reducing your watering expenses and saving you time. Beds of mulch can also be used around trees for the same purpose. Nicely mulched gardens also add to the visual appearance of your home.There are quite a few mulch products available today, and the one you choose depends on several factors. One of the biggest considerations? How it looks! You want a mulch product thatcomplementsyour house, yard and garden. People should notice how fabulous everything looks together—not the mulch itself.Cedar mulch is a premium landscaping product. It’s a all-natural mulch, made from the bark of cedar trees. When you buy cedar mulch, that’s what you get—no other fillers or organic products are mixed in. Cedar trees grow more widely in other parts of the country, so for us in Minnesota it’s an imported product. The distance, and the purity of the mix lead to cedar having a higher price point locally than other products—but it has a number of positive benefits.There is some research to suggest cedar mulch may repel insects. We don’t make that guarantee, but many people like it for that reason. It’s also a more durable product, decomposing more slowly than other materials. Because it’s longer lasting you don’t have to reapply as often, thereby saving some money over other mulch choices. We typically recommend you mulch to a depth of at least 6 inches, to get the full benefit of the product. With a decomposition rate of approximately 2 inches a year, it’s slower than other choices.However, because it’s a lightweight material there are places in your yard where other products might be a better choice. For example, we don’t usually recommend it for slopes and other steep landscape locations. Windy areas are also not a great spot for cedar mulch, for the same reason. The wind can pick up and blow the material around.If you’re looking for a natural alternative to cedar, consider hardwood mulches. Hardwood comes either shredded or in chips—and it’s available in a range of colors like gold, coco brown, or red—to complement your landscape.With hardwood mulch, you have a lower price point because different organic materials are mixed together. Because of this mixing, the appearance of the product can differ, and it also can vary in terms of decomposition rates. Hardwood mulch has the same soil moisture retention properties as cedar and it’s an effective weed barrier as well, when properly applied.For homeowners with children and play areas, consider using playground wood chips. This product is tested and certified by manufacturers to be safe for use under swing sets and in play areas. It’s cut a bit differently so it doesn’t attach to clothing, or cause wood slivers with kids. Playground mulch should be applied in a thicker layer for child safety—with 6–12 inches being common.Along with decomposition, all organic mulches will fade in color over time. Because of this, we recommend adding a “top dressing” of additional mulch every other year or so. By adding another 2 inches on top of the existing layer, you retain the best mulch properties, like moisture retention and weed management. You also ensure the color will remain strong and attractive.We also offer a non-organic mulch product, rock, as a longer term landscape solution. Rock also comes in a range of color choices and textures, giving it the flexibility to be used in a variety of settings. Since it doesn’t decompose, it can be a more cost effective choice. Rock can also be used in settings, like windy corners, that do not lend themselves well to organics.With rock, you’ll need to use a plastic or mesh barrier next to the soil layer. One of the biggest challenges is applying it in the right depth to achieve the desired effect as a weed barrier. The proper application is 3–4 inches, on top of the barrier. This ensures you won’t develop bare spots or have weeds popping through. If you want to use rock with plants, shrubs, or trees, make sure you choose a porous barrier so moisture will get through to the plants.Rock comes in such a wide range of choices; we can find a material to fit most settings. Right now, we’re seeing larger rock as a more popular choice for homeowners. As for materials, granite is finding favor in many applications due to the color choices and different tones available.We find the biggest challenge for homeowners is to order the correct amount for their particular situation. All mulches need to be applied to the proper depth to perform more efficiently. The attempt to shave dollars off by using smaller amounts often backfires when a top dressing is needed just a year later. It’s also not uncommon to have a homeowner stuck with ¾ of a project complete and no more mulch waiting to be applied! Now a simple weekend project just became much more complicated and time consuming.Think of Rock Solid as your “mulch consultants.” We help homeowners correctly estimate the amount and type of mulch for their setting. Our experienced staff can help you make the right choices, whether it’s a do-it-yourself project, or one where we bring the materials and install it right on site. If you’re just getting started, or considering whether it’s the right look for your yard, let us help. We’ll help you think through your options, as well as calculate the proper amount for your needs. ...read more

Posted by rocksolid on May 14, 2012 When you think about it, every lawn has its own microclimate. Your lawn probably has different shade patterns from your neighbors, slopes and hollows, an interesting variety of trees or shrubs, and a number of other features which make your yard unique.Traditional sprinkler and irrigation systems treat every lawn in an identical manner. They use timers to turn the system on and off at pre-determined times – and run regardless of the fact that your lawn just received two inches of rain.When we got into the lawn care and landscaping business over 6 years ago, we were determined to do things differently. We deliberately chose to use only top quality sprinkler parts, and the latest in sprinkler technology. We knew that in the long run, we’d help our customers save money. Their systems would last longer, and they’d use less water.The goal of any sprinkler system is to get liquid down to the roots of the plants, whether its grass, shrubs, trees or other landscaping. Plants lose water from their leaves and replace it from their roots. We want the maximum amount of moisture getting down into the soil and not running off onto a sidewalk or blowing off in the wind.  The latest sprinkler system technology is very sophisticated. It can monitor your yard’s microclimate, including rainfall, and adjust watering amounts accordingly. In addition, we program the system’s controllers to account for soil type, sun exposure, landscape slope and other factors. We customize each system to meet your lawn’s specific microclimate needs. When using new sprinkler technology, customers can save anywhere between 30 and 70% on their water bills.Not only do you not water you lawn during or right after a rain, the sophisticated technology knows how long to run to get maximum water down to the roots. It’s self-adjusting, so there’s no need to monitor your sprinkler system or make adjustments throughout the year. Clients like not having to stay on top of their sprinkler systems – they can go enjoy the great Minnesota summer!  Sprinkler systems can also be retrofitted with newer parts and controllers. If you have an older system, chances are we can upgrade you with much newer technology and save you money on your watering bill. Typically, a retrofit can cut watering expenses up to 30%. In addition, customers eliminate problems such as low water pressure, poor lawn coverage, and excessive run off.More and more municipalities are setting up water restrictions. Here in the Twin Cities, we’re seeing a growing trend in that direction. To encourage more water conservation, several local cities are offering rebates for installing updated sprinkler technology, and we expect that number to grow.Give us a call with any questions about your lawn’s microclimate, or to talk about the newest sprinkler technologies.  ...read more

posted by rocksolid on June 19, 2012 Every wonderful outdoor living space starts with a firm foundation – literally! Most outdoor areas start with a patio, or some type of paved pad. While there are many options for creating patios (including grassy areas, crushed rock, or even bare ground), the most durable have either a concrete pad or paving stones of some kind. We’ve had the best success by far, across a broad range of yards, with patios constructed of individual pavers.The key to a long lasting patio is in the foundation. We work with many clients who tried the “do-it-yourself” approach and found their initial attempts to save money cost them more in the long run. It’s critical to dig out the patio foundation to the proper depth, and then use the right amount of paving foundation stone to create a stable base. It’s this proper base that keeps the patio from cracking, buckling or heaving from repeated freeze-thaw cycles.It’s also important to size the patio right. With a patio table and chairs, you need a 9 foot wide floor just to hold the furniture. The bare minimum is 12 foot wide, and 16 feet will give you a much better entertaining experience. The biggest complaint we hear about patios is that they’re not big enough!Once you’ve planned the right foundation and sized it right, you need to choose appropriate patio materials.Probably the most common patio material is poured concrete. It’s relatively inexpensive and often used for larger surfaces, like patios, driveways and walk ways. However, poured concrete is very susceptible to cracking, heaving and shifting over time, regardless of the base that's used. These days you can get colored or stamped concrete surfaces – decorative, but still susceptible to many of the same issues as the plain gray slab. We’re often asked to replace or cover this type of patio with a more decorative or durable surface.The material we almost always recommend are concrete patio pavers. They have many of the advantages of concrete – like sturdiness, durability and affordability, but without the drawbacks. The pavers come in a huge range of sizes, colors and surfaces, making them ideal for many creative applications.We don’t just cover the ground surface with pavers – we use them to build retaining walls, benches, fountains and other landscape features to beautify your yard. They can also form an attractive lawn or garden edging. Because they come in a variety of shapes, the pavers can form curved walkways or walls.We really like the versatility of pavers – they are great for covering vertical surfaces, for example. We’ve done many projects where we’ve used pavers to cover concrete steps and entryways. This is far less expensive than replacing the steps, as some homeowners are inclined to do. Patio pavers also make an excellent pool surround, raised bed, or foundation for an outdoor kitchen.Patio pavers are also very durable. If one chips or gets stained, it’s much easier to replace a single paver than a big slab. Because they are made out of concrete, they are hard and hold up well for many years under challenging Minnesota weather conditions.We go from summer temperatures in the 90’s with direct sun, to weeks of below freezing winter, to in-between seasons with numerous freeze-thaw cycles. This puts tremendous stress on patios and outdoor living spaces. But because the patio is made from individual pavers, it responds significantly better to the ground movement than inflexible slabs of poured concrete. It’s also easy to remove snow and ice from a patio made of pavers.Some customers are concerned that individual pavers mean sprouting weeds, grass tufts or ant hills. We use a wonderful polymeric sand product that forms an impermeable barrier between pavers. No weeds will be growing on your patio!At Rock Solid Landscape&Irrigation, we customize each patio for your home style, yard slope, other landscape features, and your budget. There are 12 major manufacturers of paving stone products, and we can use pavers from any of them for your project.Our installers are ICPI certified (Interlocking Concrete Pavement Institute), and are required to maintain their certificate through continuing education every two years.If you have questions about patio pavers, or other landscape design considerations, please give us a call and we’ll help you determine what would be best for your specific outdoor environment. ...read more

Intelligent Lighting Controls designs and builds eco friendly lighting control systems that deliver energy savings while being user friendly. Our lighting control technology is green, LEED compliant, and made in the USA. Select from facility lighting controls and building automation lighting including lighting control panels, relays, controller add-ons, photo sensors, daylight control sensors, daylight harvesting, low voltage controls, occupancy sensors, data line devices, switch stations and more at www.ILC-USA.com or call 1-800-922-8004 for more information. ...read more