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Landscaping and planting
Beds, borders, plantings and the rock and mulch work that holds them together. Built for a Zone 5b winter and an open Iowa summer.
Anyone can install a bed. Fewer come back.
The reason so many landscapes look tired by year three is that nobody was responsible for them after the install. Plants get put in too close together because it looks full on day one, the edge blurs, the mulch thins out, and the whole thing slowly reverts.
We plant on the spacing the plant actually wants at maturity, which means a new bed looks a little sparse the first season and right by the third. Then we maintain it, because we are already on the property every week.
What survives here is the short list: hardy to Zone 5b, tolerant of an exposed site and clay-heavy ground, and able to take a July with no rain in it. We would rather talk you out of something than replace it in two years.
- Landscape design and installBeds, borders, foundation plantings, full front-of-house work.
- Bed edging and mulchCut edge or hard edging, refreshed each spring.
- Shrub and tree plantingSpecies chosen for Zone 5b and for the specific site.
- Garden maintenancePruning, weeding, seasonal cutbacks, mulch top-ups.
- Rock and gravel haulingDecorative rock, drainage rock, driveway gravel, delivered and placed.
- Tree workTrimming and removals within our scope; larger jobs we will point you to a climber.
Rock or mulch
Mulch feeds the soil as it breaks down and keeps roots cooler, which matters on the exposed lots out here. It also needs topping up every year or two.
Rock does not break down, so it looks the same for a decade, but it holds heat against the plants and it is miserable to change your mind about later. We use rock where it earns its place, usually along drip lines, in drainage runs and in high-traffic areas, and mulch nearly everywhere else.
Grade first, plant second
If water sits against the foundation or runs through where the bed is going, planting into it is money thrown away. We would rather fix the grade first and plant into ground that drains.
That is not an upsell, it is the reason our beds are still there in five years. Because we do the dirt work too, it happens as one job with one crew instead of two contractors blaming each other.
Questions we get
Do you design, or do I need to bring a plan?
We design. For most residential work that means walking the property with you, taking measurements and photos, and coming back with a plan and a plant list. Bring your own drawings if you have them and we will build to those instead.
When is the best time to plant?
Spring and early fall are both good in this part of Iowa. Fall planting gives roots a chance to establish before the ground freezes and before the plant has to face a summer. We avoid planting into the middle of a hot dry July unless someone is committed to watering it.
Will you maintain what you install?
Yes, and we would rather. A new bed needs pruning, weeding and mulch to stay looking the way it did the day it went in. Most of our landscape customers are already on our mowing route.
How much does landscaping cost?
It depends entirely on scope, access and materials, so we quote after seeing the property rather than off a price list. Estimates are free and we would rather give you an honest number than a low one we have to walk back.
Can you haul in rock or gravel for a driveway?
Yes. We haul and place decorative rock, drainage rock and driveway gravel. On acreages that is often the same visit as regrading a driveway that has washed.
Let's look at the property.
Send a couple of photos and what you have in mind. We will come out, walk it, and put a plan and a number together.
(712) 520-3402 Sharp Blades Lawn Care500 Railroad Ave, Glenwood, IA 51534