Link: http://www.embarkservices.com/blog/blogs/

While pruning looks easy, lopping off branches and limbs haphazardly greatly reduces the growth potential of trees and shrubs.

Not doing anything might be better as pests kill less tree and shrubs than bad landscaping.

Understanding some basic concepts will make pruning a matter of common sense. Pruning boils down to removing plant parts to improve the value, health or aesthetic effect of the plant.

Once the objectives are determined and a few basic principles understood, pruning primarily is a matter of common sense.

Nature works as a latent pruner. For example, higher branches may block out the sun of lower branches. Soon the flow of moisture and nutrients will be slowly cut off as a lower bough is restricted by tree tissue immediately at the base that connects a branch to the trunk. Slowly but surely, the bough will break.

Picking the right plant for the location can decrease or eliminate the need for pruning. Fast-growing plants that might become too large for the spot, fragile trees or eye sores should few in number as part of a landscaping approach.

With some plants, pruning should be minimized late in the summer to allow new growth. While the Houston winters are moderate, cold weather nonetheless may not allow this growth to harden off in time.

Plants damaged by hurricanes and storms should be pruned as soon as possible to halt the potential of insect and disease problems that may follow.

Pruning should be left to the professionals to ensure that the care is not harmful to the tree or shrub. For the assistance of an Arborist certified by the International Society of Arboriculture, call Embark Tree and Landscape at 713-462-3261 or go to www.embarkservices.com

Link: http://www.embarkservices.com/blog/blogs/

Unlike a nice dinner or a special moment, preserving a memory is as easy as drying your flowers and pressing that timeless rose for posterity.

Drying and pressing flowers creates another opportunity for enjoyment in decorative crafts, precious gifts and tasteful decorations.

The process for drying flowers usually takes a couple of weeks, provided that conditions are at their best. Hanging flowers upside down in a warm, dark and dry environment will prevent the blooms from rotting while the place void of light will retain the colors.

Before inverting your flowers, remove extraneous leaves and put the blooms in small bunches held together by rubber bands, string or yarn.

The flowers should start to feel dry to the touch after two or three days. Check on them using the same time interval.

If you’re lucky enough to have a garden full of blooms, when you pick them makes a difference when the goal is to have dried flowers. Pick them first thing in the morning when the dew is gone. Also, if picked just previous to fully blooming, some flowers will open more while simultaneously drying.

A dark, sealed container makes for a good repository for the dried flowers until they’re ready to use.

Pressing flowers is another easy process to preserve and further utilize nature’s beauty and bounty.

Start by placing flowers on top of a layer of cardboard, newspaper and tissue paper. Be sure none of the flowers are touching or hang out of the tissue paper.

Lay pieces of tissue, newspaper and cardboard on top of the flowers until all the blossoms are under wraps. Top off the stack with a telephone book, brick or stone.

Your flowers should be ready in two to four weeks.

The summer days will be sweeter knowing that you’ve turned beautiful flowers into a lasting memory.

Link: http://www.embarkservices.com/blog/blogs/

Two tropical depressions provided a dress rehearsal for hurricane season but Houston residents should be ready for the real thing by planning and preparing ahead of the storm.

Fallen trees accounted for 40 percent of all insurance claims after Hurricane Ike, according to one source. While Mother Nature is out of our control, being proactive and accountable for the trees in our yards could minimize cost and damage to your family, home and neighbors.

Don’t let fear drive you to remove a large tree close to the house without the opinion of an Arborist certified by the International Society of Arboriculture. This tree professional can help you avoid higher utility bills, a barren landscape, and guilt.

The tree closest to the house may serve as a wind buffer. A Certified Arborist can determine if the tree is structurally sound and possesses an intact root system.

Pruning trees can reduce property damage from hurricanes, tropical systems and high winds. By eliminating dead and weak branches and selectively thinning as needed, proper pruning techniques by a Certified Arborist allow the wind to blow through the canopy of the tree. Remember to have no more than 25 percent of the canopy removed.

Before hurricane season, certain types of trees should not be planted or should be removed. Young trees with shallow roots and brittle wood and branches cause the most damage during hurricane force winds. Again, a Certified Arborist can give specifics on which trees to secure or remove ahead of time.

While a hurricane has not hit the Gulf Coast yet, awareness and preparedness should receive the highest priority. Let a Certified Arborist from Embark Tree and Landscape help you keep your home, family and neighbors safe. Call 713-462-3261 for a free estimate and 10 percent off when you mention this blog.*

*Offer expires July 31, 2010.

Link: http://www.embarkservices.com/blog/blogs/

While Independence Day has always been celebrated on July 4, the holiday could have easily been named the Second of July, according to the documentation.

From the beginning, Independence Day has been feted on July 4, which is the date on the Declaration of Independence.

But just as no job is complete without the paperwork, the Continental Congress passed a resolution on July 2 calling for the legal separation of the 13 colonies from England. Lost in the mystery of history is the story why the Declaration of Independence was postdated.

The draft was presented by Richard Henry Lee on June 7 and emphatically seconded by John Adams, future president and signer of the historic document.

The vote was pushed back and Lee was denied the spotlight given Thomas Jefferson, as his draft was not reported in the newspapers or in the public record

Documentation of the resolution passing was marked in a letter from John Adams to his wife Abigail. Adams said that July 2 “will be the most memorable epoch in the history of America.”

“I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated by succeeding generations as the great Anniversary Festival,” he wrote.

“It ought to be commemorated as the day of deliverance by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty, solemnized with pomp and parade, shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires and illuminations from one end of the continent to the other from this time forward.”

And as we take off Monday, let’s rejoice in the power to reinvent ourselves as an army of shopkeepers and farmers who once seized their destiny and defied a world juggernaut. In this time of national challenges, we should fully embrace our origins and go forward united in purpose.

Anyhow, for someone who’s 234 years-old, Lady Liberty looks pretty good. Give or take a couple of days.

Embark wishes you a safe and happy Fourth of July. After the holiday weekend, call us for all your tree, floral and pest control needs at 713-462-3261 or find us on the web at www.embarkservices.com

Link: http://www.embarkservices.com/blog/blogs/

With approximately 175 different species, mosquitoes have been around for 170 million years and aren’t going anywhere – especially this summer.

These uninvited guests will come to the party but will be less inclined to take a bite out of you and buzz in your ears if you remember the three Ds – dress, drain and defend.

Dressing to impress is standard for summer time but insects know what they like: Dark and tight-fitting clothes. Some species of mosquitoes can actually feast through skin-tight clothes. Light-colored and loose-fitting clothing make for a less attractive look for mosquitoes. Long sleeves and long pants may seem out of place but will provide protection from bites.

Draining standing water around the house will take away the venue in which mosquitoes breed. Eliminating even the smallest places where water can collect can impact the population of these pests. Not much water is needed for the production of hundreds to thousands of mosquitoes. An overturned garbage lid, bottles, barrels or buckets makes for a optimal nest for mosquito eggs.

Defending yourself with the appropriate repellent can increase the enjoyment of outdoor activities. Make sure that the repellant is approved by the Environmental Protection Agency. These products have been registered, reviewed, approved and pose minimal risk when the instructions are followed.

The most recommended and approved repellents contain DEET, picaridin and oil of lemon eucalyptus. DEET, or diethyl-m-toluamide, repel ticks and mosquitoes and is the most common repellent.

Remembering and applying the three Ds will help minimize the swarms of mosquitoes circling you this summer. Let Embark Pest Control improve your outdoor experiences with its mosquito control services. Call 713-462-3261 for an appointment or go to www.embarkpestcontrol.com to have a specialist contact you.