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Landscaping Newsletter and Garden Tips
April, 2017   Volume 145
 A Personal Message
This is a very special issue of our newsletter.  It's our 20th year in business and we're traveling back in time to show you how we got started.

Here's how our very first newsletter looked:
 
 
 
Our first newsletters were 2 pages long, printed on an old ink jet printer.  It took about an hour to print 25 copies.  All of our newsletters were mailed back then.  The cost to mail each one was $.37.  
 
 
 
Today, we email our newsletters and archive them on our website.  However, we still write about many of the same subjects.  And, can you see the green vines in the background?  We still use that same motif to this day. 
 
My company began operations in a small barn in Easton, MD 20 years ago.  It was just me and a pick-up truck, with Melissa helping pull weeds and rake leaves. 

This is me, about 20 years and 30 lbs. ago. 
 
Melissa had just planted vegetable gardens and was so happy with the results!
 
 
In the beginning, we ran our operations from our old barn.  We used every square inch of this barn for tools and storage. 
 
And, this is the one single truck we owned.  You're looking at a used 1997 Chevrolet.  She drove us to a lot of landscaping jobs. 


Now, I'm blessed to have lots of trucks, tractors and most importantly, a great group of employees.  Most of them have been with me for many years.
We're located on the main road in St. Michaels, MD.  My offices are right beside the Volunteer Fire Department. 
 


We now have over 10 vehicles on the road at any one time.  Our company owns three tractors and lots of other "toys." 


We now have offices right at the gateway of St. Michaels, MD.  There's an office staff and sales staff. 

There are more computers than I know how to use in the office.  A huge printer allows us to do lots of desktop printing.
 

This is the entrance area to our offices.  Melissa and I live here also - our living spaces are upstairs. 
 
Our office staff and management have the 1st floor of the building...including full access to the kitchen!


We built our website several years ago.  It's updated constantly and I hope you'll visit it at:  dellsadler.com

I also update you with our progress at WCEI radio (96.7 FM) every Thursday morning.  I have a live radio interview each Thursday at 8:10 AM.  It's usually a lot of fun as I try to provide garden tips and landscaping advice.

So, we're celebrating this year and we hope you'll join us.  We'll have lots of coupons in our newsletter over the coming months. 

If you see a service that you're interested in, feel free to use a coupon and get some great savings.  Estimates are always free.



 

April Garden Tips

*  If you haven't started already, you'll soon be cutting your grass.  We suggest that you keep the first cut long.  Just like a baby's first haircut, you want to be tentative with this year's initial mowing.

Long-time readers will know that we suggest a regular mowing height of 2 1/2 to three inches each time you cut the grass.  This is the best height for a healthy lawn. 

Here's a very pretty lawn that we mow consistently at three inches.  This picture was taken in late spring. 

The first cut should be even higher...4 inches or so.  Then, don't wait too long before the next mowing.   

We've noticed that some of the nicest looking lawns are mowed initially every 3-5 days in the spring. This keeps them looking nice and green, and also prevents clumps of grass clipping to be left behind.

 

This is Archibald and Michael.  They are the same two grasscutters who have been with me for years.  This same team always returns to your property...not different people every time. 
 		  
Here's a photo of one of the two new Kubota mowers I bought in 2016. 

We still have a few available slots for grass cutting.  Once they fill up, we stop taking on new properties.  We don't use multiple teams, just the same personnel who will get to know your property well.  Call us if you're interested in a quote.



*  Nurseries have lots of beautiful plants available right now.  If you're ready to get out there, here's a few tips we picked up in our recent research.

A good rule of thumb...
Place each plant into the individual holes prepared for them. Use your hands to fill in the empty space around each flower and cover the top of the root ball. Avoid adding much soil to the top of the flower; the stem of the flowers should never be covered by the dirt.

Here are a couple of Dave's favorite plants.  Dave Lee is our General Manager.  He's also a landscape architect with a degree in Landscape Design from George Washington University.

Dave uses indigenous plant material in his designs whenever possible.


Be sure to read the instructions before installing each plant.  For example, don't place sun loving plants under trees and large shrubbery.  Yes, I realize this sounds repetitive.  However, you wouldn't believe how many times we're called to diagnose failing plant material that have been installed under these exact conditions. 
  
*  And, here's something new I just saw and can't wait to try.  If you're planting seeds or small seedlings this year, try filling an ice cream cone with potting soil. 

Plant the seed inside the cone and when it sprouts, take it out to the garden.  The cone bio-degrades and you'll have lots of fun watching the plant grow.  This has just got to be fun for kids (and kids at heart!)

  


*  Please don't hesitate to contact me if we can assist you with any of your outdoor projects.  

Our Tick Repellent Program 
 
By request, we'd like to provide you with some information about our highly effective tick repellent program. 

I have the largest tick repellent service on the Eastern Shore.
 
My family, including Dad and myself, have suffered some serious health issues as the result of a tick bite.  For these reasons, I began to develop my program.  

It's an essential barrier spray, designed to keep ticks away from your home and your outdoor living spaces.  We spray the entire lawn and landscape beds that you use during warm weather months.  

Our foreman, Bill is treating a well used area of the property.  We're careful not to spray surfaces such as decks or windows. 
 		  
Bill is meticulously spraying a wooded area close to the water's edge.  we do not allow the spray to drift into the water. 
 
The next step is to place Damminix tubes in areas of increased tick activity.  

Damminix tubes are small cardboard tubes which contain treated cotton that is deadly to ticks.  Small mammals, such as squirrels and mice, use the cotton to feather their nests.  This cotton is safe for animals, but deadly to ticks which are often present in the nests. 

We only use Damminix tubes in the spring, when nesting occurs.     Several other avenues of prevention may be wood and brush removal.  Tick activity may be very high in old woodpiles and areas where there are high grasses.  





As you probably know, deer are one of the biggest vectors of ticks in this area.  We have a specialized deer repellent program that is organic and won't harm deer.  After years of refinement, we believe our deer repellent program is the best one available.    
Deer soon grow used to the treated plant material and move on to forage in other areas. 
 

Our tick repellent service is priced affordably with results that speak for themselves.  We've received accolades about our service.  And, we're always working to upgrade our program to make it even more effective in the fight against tick born illnesses.