Fini

The photo shoot of our recent Great Bermuda Grass Installation was called on account of darkness before we could get pictures of the completed project.

So herewith are the finished photos of this beautiful lake property.

Come Spring time this Bermuda grass will have filled in between the sod rolls and will also green up nicely the way Bermuda does. Meanwhile, this grass will provide a tough, sturdy ground cover all through the Winter months.

All in all, a job well done by our crews.  It is ancient wisdom that grandescunt aucta labore, 'by hard work, all things increase and grow.' Our guys are proof of the truth of that bit of wisdom.

Season of Hope

Christmas and New Year's day are both special seasonal holidays filled with hope. But with this difference: New Year's day is a hope of things to come; it is the kind of hope that gives courage in the present based on desires and expectations of the future. Christmas, however, celebrates a hope that has come, an ancient promise (Micah 5.2 et al.) fulfilled some 2,000 years ago in a humble manger.

And that fulfilled hope, that manger, is the Hope that poured out hope for the world.  

Paradoxically, our hope is never more secure than when we give it away. So in this Season of Hope, all of us at Ben's Creek Nursery wish everyone of our family, friends, and customers a secure hope that will endure all things, as well as a safe and happy Christmas and New Year!

All Hands on Deck!

What does it take to install 40+ pallets of sod in an afternoon, including initial prep of the grounds? Literally, it takes every single...body...available. It also requires everyone working quickly and efficiently, and most of all, working hard.

That was Ben's Creek Nursery yesterday, installing lakefront Bermuda grass. Bermuda grass is one of the most popular southern grasses. It is extremely tough and resilient, disease and weed resistant, drought tolerant, and a fast grower when the sun shines. The grass you see here is in its normal winter dormant mode, conserving resources in preparation for Spring green. Even so, it will provide a sturdy ground cover throughout the Winter months.

Here is a picture of our crews, swarming to the task.

But before the swarm, the ground must first be graded and prepared, and that takes heavy machinery:

Then comes the unfolding of the sod. This sod came in rolls, each a couple of yards long, which are unfurled and spread on the ground.

Click 'MORE' for more!

Rocks Rock!

Rocks rock - when it comes to our yard and garden. Rocks come in all sizes and shape, from the LARGE decorative boulder above, anchoring a stonework planting bed, to small stone mulch, protecting and embellishing newborn garden plants.

But first, where do rocks come from? They are frequently found in the wild, affecting a rather stoical detachment to their surroundings. Here is a picture of some rocks in their natural habitat:

Domesticated rocks, on the other hand, are kept in a clean, safe environment and exhibit a more lively engagement, preferring the company of other rocks of similar ilk. Here's a look at a typical domesticated rock habitat:

Ben's Creek Nursery does its part and provides shelter for a variety of rocks:

Which is a long way around to the point that rock, and its diminutive brethren, stone and gravel, are key components in many landscape plans, and Ben's Creek Nursery crews are well versed in the strategic use of this material. Rock can be decorative, contrasting and complementing a pleasant bed of plants, for instance, or it can provide stability to an area prone to wetness. And most often, it can do both at the same time.

Herewith pictures of some of the many uses we have made of this versatile commodity.

Rip Rap

Gravel Drive

Beige Stone Accent

Decorative Rock

Gravel Walk

Rip Rap Borders

Decorative Rock

Drainage Rip Rap

Gray Stone Planting Bed

Grey Stone Planting Bed & Slope Protection

Decorative Rock

Bank Retention Rip Rap

A Week in Review

New Lakefront Plants

Some repairs, some maintenance, some installations, some new sod and mulch,  a landscape company's work is never done. Herewith a congeries of a multiplicity of work our guys were into this past week.

Lakefront Plants in Stone Bed

New Mulch

Clean out Drain Pipe

Cracked Retaining Wall

New Sod

Fresh Mulch