This Winter Add Color to Your Tulsa Landscape Design

Landscapes can look a little bleak during winter. What can you do to add a little color to your landscape, even in the dreary days of winter? We have some tips to brighten your Tulsa landscape design. 

Add mulch to your garden. Mulching your flowerbed or garden during the winter can help add color to your landscape and help insulate plants for winter. Mulch also offers plants vital nutrients they will need in the spring. 

Plant what will flourish in a winter garden. Some plants and shrubs can survive pretty well in the chilly winter weather and even bloom during the winter months, adding significant color and interest to your garden. Camellias are blooming evergreen shrubs that grow to be about 6 to 8 feet tall with showy pink or white flowers. There are numerous varieties of camellias including super hardy ones like “Winter Joy” and “Snow Flurry” that do well in even really cold weather. Pansies are another plant that does well even in colder weather. These cute little annuals can remain stalwart with their bright and fragrant blooms through much of the fall and winter weather. 

Add color to your hardscapes. Although the plants in your landscape might not have much color, the hardscapes in your garden can shine through. Paint your fence or gate a bright color that complements your home and outdoor environment or paint your garage door or front door a bright, new color. You can also take the winter months to revamp some of your exterior structures by adding decorative hardware to your garage door or adding new fixtures to other areas of your home and landscape. 

Add light to your landscape. If you don’t already have lighting in your outdoor living space and garden, why not add lighting design this winter? Professional landscape lighting design can transform your outdoor environment and create warmth and interest all year long. Plus, you’ll be able to use your outdoor living space more with outdoor lighting. The Tulsa landscape lighting design specialists at Oklahoma Landscape can help create the best outdoor lighting for your pathway, deck, or pool area to match your home and outdoor décor. 

Create interesting focal points to your Tulsa landscape. Creating focal points in your garden or landscape will also add visual interest amid the dreary winter weather. Outdoor structures like gazebos, pergolas, arbors, etc. can provide interest while also being practical additions to your landscape. Building a fire pit or outdoor fireplace in your backyard will create a focal point while providing a place to relax and entertain friends, even in winter. Other additions to your garden could include statues, birdbaths, or even a decorative pond. 

The Tulsa landscape designers at Oklahoma Landscape can help you create the perfect winter wonderland for your landscape and home. We can design and build complete outdoor living spaces to match your lifestyle and complement the architecture of your home as well as take care of all your landscaping and lawn care needs.

Tulsa Landscaping - The Latest Design Rules to Follow

Before you set out to renovate your landscape, keep in mind these helpful landscaping guidelines to ensure your outdoor living space looks its best.

Landscaping Do’s 

First and foremost, do carefully create a landscape design plan before you begin, even if you won’t be able to finish every aspect of the design for quite a while. While you may not need to plan out every plant you’ll include, you do need to plan where hardscapes and various groups of plants and trees will go.

Do use plants that are native to your area, that grow well together naturally, and that match the architecture or style of your home and outdoor environment. Native plants will be more resistant to disease and often require less watering. Group plants with similar watering or sunlight requirements together to make maintenance easier. 

 

Do use interesting pavers or stone to add texture and color when building your walkway instead of just concrete. 

Do consider how your family will want to use your landscape in the years to come. Do you kids like to play ball in the yard? If your family has a dog, consider how your dog will interact or be affected by the various plants or landscape designs. 

Do consider and plan for how trees and plants will mature over time. Research how big trees, shrubs, and plants will grow when they are fully mature. Will they block out sunlight or be too close to your house when they are full-grown? 

Do plant to add variety and interest all year round. Plan out which trees and plants will bloom at different times during the year and plant these so that when one group stops flowering, you’ll still have color and interest in your landscape. When choosing flowering plants, pick mostly perennials instead of annuals so that you don’t have to buy them again next year. 

Do make it easy for guests to find your front door. Sometimes homeowners may want to make several paths or walkways through their yard, but make sure visitors can easily navigate and clearly see where they should go.

Do make sure to think about proportions in your landscape. You’ll want to keep all the landscape elements in proportion, not only with your home, but also with each other so that the elements don’t seem haphazardly placed. 

Landscaping Don’ts 

Don’t plant trees too close to your house, or plant shrubs or other plants too close to walkways. Research how large the tree or plant will grow when it’s mature so that it doesn’t overtake your home, interfere with the foundation, prevent you from easily passing by on your walkway, or make your home look smaller than it is.

Don’t forget about the maintenance required for each plant or shrub. Consider whether you will have time to regularly trim shrubs and trees. This is especially true with ivy growing on your house. Will you be able to keep the ivy pruned so that it doesn’t overtake your home?

Don’t try to plant too many varieties. While you need enough variety to create interest throughout the year, too many varieties of plants will take out the “design” look of your landscape and make it look disorganized. A simple landscape design with just a few varieties and even a main color theme can create a modern look and feel. 

Don’t get caught up in using a landscaping fad, especially for hardscapes. There may be bold new color or design trends in hardscape materials, but especially with these permanent features of your landscape, you’ll want to use materials that won’t soon become outdated. 

While you can use these few guidelines to create a great landscape design with interest and balance, having a landscape design professional help will take much of the stress and work out of the project.

The Tulsa landscape designers at Oklahoma Landscape can design the best plan for your landscape using these and many other landscape design techniques to create an engaging outdoor space. Let us help you build the perfect landscape and outdoor environment for your particular home and lifestyle.

Dream Tulsa Outdoor Environments - Resort Amenities Right at Home

Sometimes our lives are just too hectic to plan a two-week vacation across the world, but imagine taking a vacation day or two and retreating to your own private outdoor oasis. What would your dream destination include? The Tulsa landscape designers at Oklahoma Landscape can design and build the outdoor living space of your dreams. There is just one downside. With these outdoor environments right in your backyard, you may never want to go back to work.  Check out these ideas for creating your perfect vacation getaway – right at home.

The Perfect Camping Spot

Create your own Yellowstone-inspired camping spot with a custom fire pit made of natural stones. Add built-in stone seating around the fire pit for a cozy night by the fire roasting marshmallows and telling stories.

Building a water feature that sounds just like a babbling brook in your backyard will give you the feeling of camping out by a river while also blocking out some of the noise of neighborhood traffic.

A Hawaiian-inspired Resort

Enjoy the serenity of the islands, not just for a week, but throughout the summer in your own Maui-like retreat. Often, visitors to the Hawaiian islands love to spend their days just lounging by the luxury pool areas of their resort hotels. Why not create that resort in your outdoor living space? A custom pool with a swim-up bar area, waterfalls, and spa will allow you to unwind from all the stress of the work week, without even having to pack or board a plane. A “sunshelf” or beach entry for your pool can provide a practical and luxurious atmosphere,l allowing you to enjoy sunbathing while still staying cool in the shallow water. Infinity pools are also very popular at resorts and now are more often a part of the custom pool design for homes in Tulsa.

Our Tulsa landscape designers can create the perfect outdoor environment for your particular vacation style allowing you to relax and enjoy a tropical resort getaway in your own backyard.

A Romantic Italian Eatery

Maybe your perfect vacation destination would include more of a Tuscan or Mediterranean landscape. Why not add a luxury outdoor kitchen built in the style of a fine Tuscan restaurant in your outdoor living space? Outdoor kitchens today can come with an innumerable amount of amenities including stainless steel appliances, refrigerators, sinks, built-in cabinets, wine coolers, and plenty of counter space, making entertaining a breeze.

Add an al fresco dining area near your outdoor kitchen, maybe under a pergola with growing vines, for the ideal outdoor party area.

Custom outdoor fireplaces also create the perfect atmosphere for either a cozy romantic night spent at home or entertaining friends with the warm glow of the fire in the background.

Whatever your vacationing style, the Tulsa landscape designers at Oklahoma Landscape can design and build an outdoor living space to match your dream destination. While one vacation may last only a week or two, investing in your own backyard outdoor environment will result in years of memorable occasions and the opportunity to relax in your own resort-like retreat any time you want.

Tulsa Landscape Design Challenges - Slopes

Slopes in your landscape can make designing your perfect outdoor living space much more of a challenge. Numerous Tulsa residents find themselves with this type of landscape design problem because so many Tulsa homes were built on the area’s beautiful hillsides. These steep hillside slopes can be rather tricky to garden, but it’s important to landscape these areas to prevent costly and possibly even calamitous erosion and drainage complications. What are some ways to landscape slopes to prevent these kinds of issues?

Make some walls.

Erosion takes place when surface runoff moves downhill taking with it loose soil. The faster the water flows down a slope, the more soil it likely will take with it. Thus, to effectively control erosion, the rate at which water flows downhill must be decreased, and yet still allow for drainage. Carefully constructed retaining walls and terraces can be very adept at preventing soil erosion and flooding. Retaining walls can be made using a variety of decorative hardscape materials such as natural stones, brick, interlocking blocks, concrete, wood, or cinder blocks. Because of their decorative appearance, retaining walls can add dimension and character to your landscape. They can be textured and aged or smooth and symmetrical, adding a decorative structure and organization to the landscape while holding back an embankment and creating level areas of land.

However, retaining walls must be properly built so they can withstand the pressure of weather, time, and other elements. These retaining walls need to also complement your property’s drainage and irrigation system to be effective. Several shorter terraces are often more effective than one or two larger segments because the more gradual the slope, the less chances there are for runoff.

Put nature to work.

Woody shrubs and trees that have a deep network of roots can help bind the various layers of soil together. Over time or through construction, these soil layers can become weak and less compact. Thus, plants with a strong root system can help keep the soil layers intact and slow water runoff. Hardy, drought-resistant plants like succulents, groundcovers, and native plants that are plentiful in Oklahoma will help reduce erosion and even help combat weeds. These plants are also usually more low-maintenance plants, providing easy maintenance for you landscape.

Rocks and boulders provide another decorative means of slowing the flow of water down a slope. Add native plants or shrubs behind these stone hardscapes and you’ll create a beautifully natural landscape. Make sure boulders are packed tightly into the soil.

Steps that stabilize.

Meandering steps can be used to help guests up what would otherwise be a difficult slope. You could make a series of steps in a winding or zigzag pattern that adds personality and charm to the hillside. Plant colorful shrubs or groundcover next to the curving stairway to create even more interest and help prevent surface runoff.

Use Water to the Full

While surface runoff can cause much erosion damage, you can work with the water by diverting it through a stream, waterfall, or other water feature along a shallow slope. Fill in the stream with rocks and you have a natural creek bed. Thus, your babbling brook can safely allow water to flow downstream and form another visual piece for your landscape.

Because of the delicate nature of slopes, soil, and their proper drainage patterns, it’s often best to seek the advice of professional landscape designers before making any major adjustments to your slope or hillside. The Tulsa landscape designers at Oklahoma Landscape will be glad to help you correct or prevent drainage and erosion issues by properly landscaping your hillside or slope.

We provide a complete range of landscape architecture, drainage, irrigation, and hardscape services to help you ‘find yourself outside’ in your beautiful and engaging landscape.

Great Uses Of Low-Maintenance Plants In Tulsa Landscape Design

In Tulsa, and really all of Oklahoma we know first-hand how tough it can be for plants, wildlife, and even us to survive the heat of summer. To combat the effects of a long drought and overall help with the global conservation of water and resources, many Tulsa landscape designers are using low-maintenance landscaping techniques.

This type of Tulsa landscape design makes use of plants native to the area that are already better suited for the Oklahoma weather and also drought-resistant plants. Native plants are also typically more resistant to local disease and insects. Using these types of plants can often lessen your landscape’s need for irrigation and maintenance. Succulents like cacti, aloe, and sedum are very tolerant of dry weather, although they do need more water during their growing season and do best in soil that drains well.

Ornamental grasses such as blue oat grass, feather reedgrass, and purple fountain grass are another kind of decorative foliage that can, withstand conditions with less water. Some groundcover plants and shrubs can also do well in these conditions. Groundcover can also be used on slopes to replace lawn areas that are difficult to mow.

Using low-maintenance or xeriscaping techniques can also include grouping plants together with similar watering and sunlight needs so that less water is wasted when caring for these plants. This form of landscape design also groups together plants that tend to require a similar amount of maintenance, which in turn will make landscaping and lawn work overall simpler.

Hardscapes are also used in low-maintenance landscaping to cut back on the resources and energy used for landscape maintenance. A stone walkway or paver pathway can lessen the amount of regular maintenance while also creating an added dimension to your landscape.

Another part of low-maintenance landscape design in Tulsa is preparing the soil well for native plants and shrubs. Making sure the soil is healthy with regular lawn fertilization will help reduce its need for water. Using mulch or compost can also help your soil retain water better in addition to preventing erosion and weeds.

The Tulsa landscape design architects at Oklahoma Landscape would more than glad to help you create a low-maintenance landscape design plan that’s geared to your particular landscape with the perfect plants, shrubs, and hardscapes to complement your home and lifestyle.

Selecting Hydrangeas for Your Tulsa Garden

For good reason hydrangeas are one of the most popular landscape shrubs. These beautiful, blooming shrubs are known for producing ball-shaped clusters of small flowers nice mix of colors like pink, blue, purple, and white. Gardeners in Tulsa often love them for their rich blooms that seem to blanket a garden with color.

But with the sometimes extreme and often inconsistent Oklahoma weather, life can be difficult for hydrangeas here. They commonly need a great deal of care to survive the intense Oklahoma heat. So, which varieties of these gorgeous shrubs seem do best in Oklahoma you ask?


There is a reblooming kind hydrangea that blossoms every few weeks in the summer and fall; known as The Endless Summer hydrangea, it can endure the winter weather in Oklahoma better than other varieties and can bloom on both new and old wood. These do best in a partly-shaded area that gets morning sun and afternoon shade. These hydrangeas, like other varieties, need  rich, moist soil that drains well. While they need a lot of water, they don’t do well in soggy or constantly wet areas.

Another kind of hydrangea known as, The Annabelle hydrangea is said to be one of the hardiest with some of the longest blooms.

Examiner.com tells us, “With adequate moisture, ‘Annabelle’ laughs at the Oklahoma summertime,” “Further, because ‘Annabelle’ flowers on new growth, she is never badly hurt by late freezes.”

Annabelles generally bloom from early June through September in Oklahoma. These beautiful landscape shrubs bloom to a bright white before they turn to light green again. The Annabelle is seen to be more drought-tolerant than others and has great disease resistance.
The Oakleaf hydrangeas is also said to be an easier hydrangea to cultivate. Instead of the ball-shaped or “mophead” flower type, the Oakleaf has a unique cone-shaped clusters of white flowers and oak-like leaves that turn a beautiful reddish-purple in the fall.

Because all of these hydrangeas require moist, rich soil, Englishgardens.com recommended adding fertilizer to them during summer while they’re growing. And the vast majority, if not all hydrangeas, will do better planted in the shade or partial-shade, out of the hot afternoon sun.

For more assistance in landscaping your garden, please contact the Tulsa landscape design specialists at Oklahoma Landscape. We can design and build a landscape with the perfect flowers and shrubs for your home’s architecture and that will thrive in the Oklahoma climate.

Tulsa Landscape Ideas - Adding Edible Plants

Do you desire a beautiful landscape to complement our home? Elegant landscape design creates a peaceful place where we can enjoy summer evenings with family, unwind on the weekends,or hospitality entertain friends. But more homeowners are choosing, not just beautiful landscapes, but delicious, edible landscapes elements as well.

With the trend toward organic gardening, homeowners are seeing the many benefits of Tulsa landscape design that includes edible plants, which are as pretty as they are tasty. Edible landscaping is not just about planting a garden in your backyard, but more about including a variety of edible trees, plants, and shrubs throughout your landscape to provide cost-effective, healthy food right at home.

In fact, Better Homes and Gardens (BHG) wrote an article online about how to include edible plants in your landscaping. Here are some of the tips they gave:

A pretty plant that fits well in the flower bed or along the border is Rhubarb, especially when paired with purple-leaved Ajuga or a similar low-growing groundcover. Strawberries are another good groundcover or edging plant for a flowerbed or even planted on a sunny slope as a groundcover.

Miniature and dwarf fruit trees are available that grow about 4 or 5 feet tall and even grow well in pots. These are great for use in smaller yards. Raspberries, the article noted, do great in light to medium shade, making them easy to grow at home.Currant bushes and blueberry make great decorative (and delicious) shrubs.

Instead of traditional vines to grow over an arbor or trellis, the article suggested grapevines or short vining-type vegetables like cucumbers, zucchini, and melons. Gorgeous grapevines will grow well over an arbor, plus you can use the leaves for decoration on platters or to top cheeses and salads, BHG said.

Vegetables often do well in containers, the article mentioned. Lettuces come in a different colors, making them ideal for window boxes and along edges of flower beds. Hot peppers also add rich color variety to the landscape, especially when paired with marigolds and vinca. Swiss chard is another vegetable that comes in a “rainbow of colors” that can be paired with other vibrant flowers to create a beautiful Tulsa landscape design.

For more great edible gardening tips, check out the Edible Landscaping article on BHG. If you’d like help to incorporate more edible plants into your landscape, call the Tulsa gardening and landscape design/build experts at Oklahoma Landscape.

How to Give Your Tulsa Home Curb Appeal for Potential Buyers

Dick Gaylord, who has sold real estate for 27 years, told HGTV “If people drive by your home and are not impressed, they’re not going to walk inside,” in an article about “Which Home Improvements Pay Off?”

So you’re putting your house on the market…just need put a “For Sale” sign out front, right? We could only wish it were that easy, first you do well to make sure your home has good curb appeal. Why? Because, without exaggeration, first impressions can make or break your sell.

So when you’re making sure you property has curb appeal, keep these pointers in mind…

Landscaping. A healthy and well-maintained landscape is not only appealing to buyers in its own right, but also indicates to buyers how you’ve taken care of the actual home as well. So, it might be said regular Tulsa lawn maintenance is one of the most important keys of curb appeal.

The Chapel Valley Landscaping Company of Maryland noted, “Residential landscape maintenance can add as much as 14% to the resale of the home and speed up the selling process by as much as six weeks when it is time to sell,”. Landscaping can also help to keep up the property value of the entire neighbourhood, the article said.

What can you do? Regular lawn care includes not only mowing but also managing weed control and overgrowth, trimming of trees and shrubs, as well as irrigation. In addition to keeping your landscape well-manicured, you add more plants to your yard. A simple way to add curb appeal is to add mulch to your flower bed, and plant colorful new plants of various sizes in your landscape to create interest and as a way to gracefully lead buyers to your front door.

Hardscapes. An inviting walkway and driveway is major to curb appeal. Make sure your walkway and driveway are in nice condition or replace an old walkway with pavers to create a elegant path to your home. Driveways can also be stained or stamped to create more appeal and interest. The Tulsa landscaping contractors at Oklahoma Landscape can take care of all your hardscaping needs.

Outdoor Lighting. While most potential buyers will see your home during the day, it’s possible some may not. And at night, it will look much more inviting with even basic landscape lighting. Even during the day,  outdoor light fixtures and landscape lighting elements add character and charm to the home, as well as a feeling of security.

Little Touches. There are other minor enhancements you can do to dress up your home. Repainting or refinishing your front door (maybe in a bright color like yellow, or red, green) can give your whole house a fresh look and create a focal point. Replace worn hardware, trim, and fixtures. Adding decorative hardware or even a trellis to your garage door is also a pretty decorative feature. Also, adding decorative house numbers can be a nice, inexpensive touch.

For help with your regular Tulsa lawn maintenance or if you want to renovate your landscape to add greater curb appeal, call the Tulsa landscaping contractors at Oklahoma Landscape.

For more information on ways to add curb appeal, look at http://www.diyncrafts.com/5415/home/150-remarkable-projects-ideas-improve-your-homes-curb-appeal/5.

Tulsa Landscapers Offer Beautiful Backyard Makeover Ideas

Deck and patio. If you’re looking to add liveable space to your home consider a custom deck or patio. A multi-level deck brings not only more room but also much style to the outdoor environment. A patio created with stone pavers gives a unique and fresh touch to your patio area, and comes in a variety of shapes, colors, sizes, and textures. Often these become the foundation of your entire outdoor living space and can provide ample room for cooking and dining, or relaxing.

Is your backyard looking a little uneventful or even depressing? Would you like to get more out of your landscape? Here are a few ideas on changing your landscape into the perfect Tulsa outdoor living area. And remember, at Oklahoma Landscape the Tulsa landscape contractors can take your backyard from barren to breath-taking!

Outdoor fire pits and fireplaces. Nearly any Tulsa landscape can be enhanced by an outdoor fireplace or fire pit for those chilly spring and fall Oklahoma nights. An outdoor fireplace turns your backyard into a private haven for your family. With comfortable built-in seating around the fireplace, you can entertain friends gathered around the fire talking or enjoy a night underneath the stars with your loved ones. If you want to esthetically highlight the outdoor fireplace, add a pergola to cover it and you’ll have an visually amazing outdoor space.

Outdoor kitchens. Not just simply an outdoor grill, these sophisticated Tulsa outdoor kitchens can  come complete with pizza ovens, stainless steel appliances, sinks, granite countertops,wine coolers, mini refrigerators, and more. Tulsa homeowners are building complete outdoor kitchens in their backyard. You can have the ultimate outdoor dinner party with a complete outdoor kitchen.

Landscape lighting. If you want a stylish Tulsa outdoor living space you’re going to need well-designed landscape lighting to go with the décor and purpose of the outdoor space. It can be subtly used to guide guests to the backyard or as a way to accent your deck or patio, landscape lighting can help beautify your outdoor environment while creating more functionality, safety, and security.

Custom pool. With an increasing array of  accessories and features that can be built-in to a custom pool, there’s seems to be no end to the possibilities for a luxurious backyard. Entertain guests or have a relaxing day in your own custom swimming pool or spa, or both. The Tulsa landscape contractors Oklahoma Landscape can design and build a one-of-a-kind pool as a beautiful counterpart your home and your lifestyle.

So, if these ideas have you thinking about creating an amazing outdoor environment. Let the Tulsa landscaping company Oklahoma Landscape take your outdoor living space dreams and turn them a reality.

Top Pool Features - By the Builders

The Tulsa pool builders at Oklahoma Landscape want to design and build the custom pool of your dreams. What features would you like your pool to have? And if you need know some possibilities, here are some of the latest (and coolest) swimming pool designs elements…

Infinity edge pools. Mimicicking  how the edge of a waterfall looks from the top of the waterfall. This type of pool feature creates the visual effect that water in the pool is extending out to the horizon or to “infinity” with no edge to hold the water in. This feature is also called a zero edge, vanishing edge, negative edge, or disappearing edge pool. Infinity pools are often a common feature at luxury resort hotel pools, and give the pool a dreamy, “romantic” look that is easy fall in love with.

Zero entry pool. Rather than steps leading into the pool, a zero entry pool has a gradual slope entry that  gets deeper as you go farther into the pool. This is another elegant pool feature that pairs nicely with your infinity edge pool. This gives you the feeling of being at the beach and simply walking gradually into the ocean. Like being at the beach, this feature allows you to sit comfortably in a shallow pool of water maybe with a drink in-hand, just without sitting in wet sand of course.

Volleyball net.  This pool accessory equals fun for the whole family, and a great way to entertain friends. It's sure to take your pool games to the next level.

Rock climbing walls. Add a climbing wall to your custom Tulsa pool design? And have tons of fun rock climbing without the bulky ropes and harnesses. These exciting and athletic custom climbing walls offer a great way to enjoy the sport of rock climbing while also enjoying the pool.

Jumping platforms. If you want to add even more excitement to your Tulsa pool design, installing a jumping platform or a fun slide will be sure to do the trick. Whether a slab diving rock or a wooden platform, these jumping platforms offer a fun area for kids or adults alike. These platforms or diving boards (if your pool is designed to be deep enough to be safe for diving or jumping in) afford greater functionality for your pool area. Stone pavers or boulders surrounding the jumping platform can add a natural decor to the pool.

Built-in hot tub. A classic and coveted Tulsa pool design accessories, in-ground hot tubs and spas are the quintessential poolside luxury. Create a romantic night at home with a built-in hot tub in your Tulsa outdoor environment. With a variety of designs and options available, a hot tub or spa would complete the look and function of your custom pool area.

The Tulsa pool builders at Oklahoma Landscape can design and build a custom pool for your Tulsa outdoor living space with all the latest trends in pool accessories. Call us today to discuss features for your dream pool!

Tips to Successfully Control Weeds in Your Tulsa Garden

Weeds are one of the main enemies of every gardener and landscaper. What can Tulsa gardeners do to control weeds?

A thriving lawn and garden is one of the best defenses against weeds. Robust plants and grass in the landscape can prevent weed seedlings from getting the sunlight and nutrients they need to develop and grow.

And essential to resilient plants and grass is well-fertilized soil. You can test the pH levels of your soil with a DIY kit or many times, by taking it to your local agricultural cooperative. Then you can see what nutrients your soil may be lacking. Good lawn fertilization for your Tulsa landscape can go a long way to preventing weeds by creating a lush garden and lawn.

Speaking of robust plants, species that are native to the Tulsa area are more likely to be hardy and prosper in Oklahoma weather. Because native plants flourish more easily than other species, they can be very effective in crowding out weeds and their seedlings. Weeds endeavor to grow where there is an open space, so the more plants you have that grow well, the easier it will be to control weeds. If you purchase plants in a container, check to ensure the soil is free of weeds so that you don’t accidentally bring in more weeds.

Like other plants, weed seeds need sunlight to grow, so adding mulch frequently to your Tulsa garden can help to deprive weeds of needed sunlight while helping to keep the soil cooler and help it to retain moisture. Some organic mulches can also contain insects that eat the weed seeds, finegardening.com reported; however, it also noted that some mulch can have weed seeds in them. When buying or making compost, check to see whether it was composted to a temperature of 140 F to 150 F, the website noted, to ensure the weed seeds were killed before they reached your garden. Mulch should be kept about 2 inches deep in your garden. Too much mulch could prevent the soil from getting enough oxygen.

Pull weeds out of the soil after a good rain to make it easier to weed your garden. However, finegardening.com recommends hoeing weeds when the soil is dry, slicing the weeds just below the soil line with a sharp-edged hoe. Be careful to not dig or till the soil too much to prevent weed seeds deeper in the soil from germinating.

These are just some of the everyday things you can do to prevent weeds from taking over your Tulsa garden. Oklahoma Landscape offers a complete Tulsa weed control and lawn fertilization program to take all the hassle out of weed control for homeowners as well as business.

Winter - A Great Time to Design your Dream Tulsa Outdoor Environment

While there may not be as much to do outside this time of year (unless you have an outdoor fireplace or fire pit), there are some things you can work on even inside to fully enjoy your Tulsa outdoor space in the future.

Winter is a good time for Tulsa homeowners to consider landscape renovation plans for the coming year. After all, we update our houses. Shouldn’t we also update our landscapes and outdoor living areas? Tastes and styles change over time and that’s true also in regard to our Tulsa outdoor environment. These renovations could range from full-scale, complete outdoor environment additions to simple changes in flowers, plants, or shrubs.

Whatever renovations you may be thinking for your outdoor space, winter is a great time to start planning. The Tulsa landscape designers at Oklahoma Landscape can help you evaluate your existing space, give you options on how to improve your landscape based on how you want to use the space, and begin planning and designing the renovations.

Beautiful outdoor spaces not only add to your outdoor enjoyment, but they also add to the value of your property and home.  Landscape renovations can provide you with a gorgeous outdoor living area while also correcting other landscaping issues like erosion or poor drainage. A professional Tulsa landscape designer can help you prevent costly mistakes and offer innovative design solutions so you get the most from your landscape. They can also assist you with zone laws and other concerns that could arise in projects like these.

In planning a landscape renovation, consider how you will want to most often use your landscape. Do you like to have friends over and cook out? An outdoor kitchen would help you be the host of the neighborhood. Would you like to enjoy romantic evenings with your spouse? An outdoor fireplace creates a cozy, relaxing atmosphere. Do you have kids that need a place to hang out and get out of the house during the summer? A custom, kid-friendly pool will be a perfect way for them to spend the summer. Or do all these outdoor living plans fit your lifestyle? A landscape design professional can help you blend all these elements together seamlessly to create one unique and functional outdoor living space.

Developing a plan, budget, and schedule during the winter months can ensure you’ll enjoy your renovated landscape next year. So while you may not get to enjoy your landscape as much as you’d like to this winter, dreaming of and planning that perfect outdoor environment can keep you entertained until the warm weather arrives.

Functional Landscape Design in Tulsa - Transforming your Backyard into a Work of Art

Landscape designers in Tulsa transform traditional backyards in cohesive outdoor living spaces. What does that mean and why is it needed? Landscape designers create a theme for properties using plants and hardscapes to tell a story or set a tone for the landscape. This landscape theme makes the landscape more functional, more practical for everyday use.

Instead of allowing plants and grass to grow haphazardly, landscape designers in Tulsa such as Oklahoma Landscape can use the natural elements of a property to enhance not only the landscape but also the home itself, increasing property value and curb appeal. Plants, trees, and shrubs are set in strategic places to lower energy costs, provide shade, reduce irrigation needs, and prevent erosion. The variety of plants and foliage in the landscape and their color can provide serenity and relaxation for a home or business owner. Color therapy can be used in a landscape to evoke certain emotions and enhance the outdoor experience. Gardens can provide the needed relief after a stressful workday to balance emotions and promote well-being. Landscape designers are adept at creating these luxury gardens that invigorate the senses.

Landscape design combines an effective use of plants, or softscapes, with hardscapes or the inanimate features of a landscape such as those made of stone, concrete, wood, or brick. Used in the right combination, these elements provide visual structure, dimension, and character to a landscape, while also adding to the theme or tone of the property. A functional outdoor kitchen in Tulsa with granite countertops provides an ideal entertaining spot for a landscape. An elegant outdoor fireplace offers a romantic focal point to the landscape design. Oklahoma Landscape’s design architects use realistic 3D modeling to show how the finished project will look before landscape development or construction even begins.

And, of course, fundamental to landscape design is good design, planning, and implementation. Tulsa landscape designers know that to create a landscape that is not only visually engaging but also practical to the homeowner’s lifestyle, landscapers must analyze the needs of the homeowner and the landscape itself, and then carefully plan a landscape arrangement to fit those needs. This carefully thought-out design allows for the optimal use of the property and most pleasing visual appearance, creating the most serene environment.

Good landscape design is everything for your Tulsa property. It makes your home or business and their adjoining property a cohesive design element in the community, creating a living work of art for your Tulsa neighborhood. The needs of you as a property owner are of prime importance. If a landscape design is not practical to the home or business owner, then it won’t be used to the full. But if the landscape design creates a compelling theme for your home or business, then you’ll be sure to ‘find yourself outside.’

Outdoor Structures Like Pergolas Complete Your Tulsa Outdoor Environment

If you feel that something's missing from your Tulsa outdoor environment, your home could need an outdoor structure to complete your outdoor living space. These outdoor landscape additions bring the environment together, giving the space a polished feel and can be built to perfectly complement your home. Having a structure over your outdoor kitchen or fireplace can ensure you’ll be able to use these spaces more and have a more enjoyable time, whether entertaining or just relaxing. What are some types of outdoor structures and what are their benefits?

Elegant Pergolas

Pergolas make up in elegance and charm what they make lack in providing full shelter. These outdoor structures can really define your Tulsa outdoor environment while not separating the different elements of your space. These more open architectural structures support crossbeams for a slatted roof to provide shelter from direct sunlight.

Pergolas can really be customized to fit your home’s style or outdoor space needs, whether to provide a sitting area by the pool or a dining area on the patio or to outline a walkway or path. They can be made using a variety of materials. Create a spa-like feel by adding fabric panels or as a covering for the roof. Add a fan to keep the air flowing and cool the space. Build the pergola with Roman-style columns to give the pergola a classically elegant flare. Climbing plants and vines can be grown on the pergola to add to garden appeal and create natural shade. These luxurious outdoor structures can add a vertical focal point as well as elegantly extend your home’s outdoor living space.

Cabana-style Pavilions

No longer just for luxury resorts, cabanas are now taking over Tulsa outdoor environments as a practical and visually engaging piece for your outdoor living space. These covered structures provide shelter, shade, and a great space for entertaining, especially by the pool. They can house fireplaces, outdoor kitchens with granite countertops, stainless steel appliances and grills, bar areas and plush seating. Add overhead heaters, fans, and even a flat-screen television and surround sound and you have the perfect spot for relaxing all year round. The variety of trends and styles for these outdoor structures are almost endless.

Classic Gazebos

While traditionally gazebos have been octagon-shaped, white structures settled in a garden, landscape designers are now building gazebos in a variety of shapes and sizes from rectangular, square, or round.  These structures, that are open on all sides with a covered roof, provide comfortable shade and shelter from the elements. They can be built out in a garden as a free-standing structure or as the perfect addition to your deck, patio, or even over a pond as part of a dock. Gazebos can be used to shelter a hot tub or spa area on the deck or patio or as an extension of a home’s porch area. Gazebos can be made from wood, stone, metal, or concrete. Screens and doors can also be added to keep out bugs. With creativity and a modern style, gazebos offer a great place to ‘find yourself outside.’


Outdoor structures in Tulsa add timeless charm to your outdoor environment, provide practical function for all seasons, and can significantly increase the value of your home and property. Oklahoma Landscape’s design specialists can custom-design and build the right outdoor structure for your space.