- Sustainable Landscape Giveaway with Mygreenbirmingham.com & Birmingham Home & Garden Magazine
Check out the contest that mygreenbirmingham.com is running starting September 1st. Some lucky winner will receive a "green" makeover by several Birmingham businesses, including Portera Landscape! We will hook you up with a sustainable landscape and your home will be featured in Birmingham Home & Garden Magazine in January 2011. - Plant These For Great Fall Color
Trees - Japanese Maple, October Glory Maple, Autumn Blaze Maple, Ginkgo and Dogwood. Plants - Burning Bush, Sienna Sunrise Nandina, Heuchera, Mums, Cabbage, Sedum, Oak Leaf Hydrangea, Fothergilla and Asiatic Jasmine. - Southern Living Magazine - October 2010
Southern Living Magazine will feature a retaining wall & patio project we did at a home on Cliff Road in Birmingham in their October 2010 issue. Should be lots of great pictures and tips so be sure to look for it! - Annual Color and Perennials You Should Plant Now - May 30, 2010
Great Color For Your Landscape This Summer Sun Annuals- Lantana, Vinca, Profusion Zinnia, Million Bells, Diamond Frost, Angelonia, Coleus, Dahlia, Nicotiana & Lobelia; Sun Perennials - Tall Verbena, Phlox, Gaura, Shasta Daisy 'Becky', Coneflower, Balloon Flower, Campion, Sun Drop, Pincushion Flower; Shade Annuals - Super Elfin Impatiens (don't get as leggy as regular impatiens); Green leaf Begonias; Caladiums, Torenia; Shade Perennials - Astilbe, Hosta, Huechera, Columbine, Blue Woods Phlox, Bigroot Geranium, Ajuga and Toad Lily. - Portera Landscape & Habitat for Humanity
We are landscaping a Habitat for Humanity house on June 10th! It will be a great looking landscape for one fortunate homeowner! More information and photos to come. - Hanna's Garden Shop Seminar - April 17, 2010
Come see us at Hanna's Garden Shop at 10 am on Saturday, April 17th. We will be talking about Sustainable Landscaping, plants we love and a bunch of other stuff! - Birmingham Magazine April 2010
Check us out in this month's Birmingham Magazine - http://bhammag.com/bhammag/house-0410dwelling.aspx - Sustainable Landscaping Seminar - Sweet Peas Garden Shop on Saturday March 27th at 11 a.m. Come join us at Sweet Peas Garden Shop in Homewood for tips on great plants to use in your landscape; plants that make great privacy screens and info on Sustainable Landscaping.
- Tips for a Great Lawn - 3/09/10
1. Most important is to mow your yard regularly - don't let it grow too much because it will open up spots for weeds to grow; 2. Water wisely - an established lawn only needs about 1 inch of water per week and it is best to water in the morning; 3. Apply fertilizer with pre-emergents at recommended times - follow the recommend program on the bag for your type of grass and don't over do it. - Shrubs for Spring
Frost Proof Gardenias and Wheeler's Dwarf Pittosporum have been great performers for us. They both grow to about 3.5 x 3.5 feet and tend to do better with full sun in the morning and part sun in the afternoon. The FPG is more of an upright grower with fragrant blooms. The WDP has more of a mounding habit. Try these in your Birmingham landscapes and you will like the results!
Portera Landscape design was founded by two brothers, andy and john paul portera, in may 2005. andy and john paul grew up in tuscaloosa, alabama working in their parents' yard tending to a variety of shrubs and plants. after high school, they both attended and graduated from the university of alabama. after graduation from college, andy entered law school at alabama and john paul worked for a couple of years before entering the landscape architecture school at mississippi state university. andy went on to graduate from law school and worked in private practice, and john paul received undergraduate and graduate degrees in landscape architecture and started a landscaping company in tuscaloosa. andy grew tired of law practice, and after several discussions with john paul, the portera brothers decided they would together launch portera landscape design. since 2005, portera landscape has been busy designing and creating sustainable, residential landscapes for clients throughout birmingham, tuscaloosa and surrounding areas.
All plants, trees and grass require a certain amount of light to grow and prosper. Full sun plants require at least 6 hours of full, direct sun. Partial-sun/shade plants typically like about 4 hours of direct sun while shade/part-shade plants can thrive on as little as two hours of sun. Matching light conditions of the site with light requirements of plants helps to ensure healthy plant growth and reduces the need for extra watering. For example, if you plant a shade loving plant in an area that gets full sun, that plant will require much more water than typically called for and will probably experience leaf scorch. Likewise, if you plant a full sun plant in a shady area, the plant may struggle to flower and may grow spindly. For these reasons, get out in your yard at different times of the day throughout the year to determine the amount of sunlight that each area gets.
In landscapes, water either moves into the soil or across the soil. Water can be a problem or an asset in terms of plant survival and is critical to plant selection. For dry areas, you essentially have two options: (a) Redirecting water from sidewalks or gutters to the dry area, or (b) Planting drought tolerant plants in the area. However, if poor drainage is the problem, you either need to remedy the problem before planting, which is typically the best alternative, or select plants that tolerate wet feet (i.e., Dwarf Yaupon Holly, Itea, Florida Anise, etc.). Often times drainage and soil moisture varies throughout the site so it is important to conduct drainage tests in various locations. Make note of downspout locations and existing drains. In addition, make sure that roof water is running away from the foundation. It is also important to observe the yard during a heavy rain to make notes of where water ponds or moves rapidly.
Climate includes rainfall and average temperatures for the area. Plants that are grown in their preferred temperature zone will survive the cold days of winter and will require less water in the summer. It is important to reference the USDA Cold Hardiness Zone Map when choosing plants so that you select plants that can handle our climate. Central Alabama is in Cold Hardiness Zones 7a and 7b so choose plants that will thrive in these zones.
Identify utility locations during a site analysis before finalizing your design. Water, gas and power lines are generally buried fairly deeply, but phone and cable lines are typically buried very shallowly. Also, it is important to note the location of a septic tank and its field lines.
The site analysis should include an inventory of existing plants. Existing plants are generally adapted to the site and can provide shade and protection from the wind for new plants until they become established. Damaged or diseased trees should be treated or removed before the new landscape is installed.
Deer can be a serious problem to a landscape. If hungry enough, deer will eat almost anything. However, there are some plants that are more deer resistant than others. If you suspect or know you have a deer problem, it is important that you choose plants that are deer resistant.
Andy and John Paul did a marvelous job of assessing how to best address a spring fed area of our front lawn that tended to drown and die back. They were able to create a landscaped area with a selection of bushes and ground cover plants that tied seamlessly into our existing bordered rock wall and flower landscape. It accentuated our overall front yard, which had just recently been awarded a 1st prize from Vestavia's 2010 yard competition. Our neighbor's have raved about the new landscape that Andy and John Paul designed and professionally (and dependably) installed. Bravo!
We contracted with Portera Landscape to install new beds in the front of our house. After discussing our ideas with Andy and then listening to his suggestions we decided on a plan. It turned out to be even better than we had hoped. My wife Carol was thrilled with the choice of plantings and the overall design. Andy, John Paul and their crew did an excellent job. The whole crew seemed to enjoy what they do and work hard to please. The project came in within the budget and we couldnt be happier.
We had a terrible drainage problem in our yard. We are at the bottom of a slight hill that caught a great deal water. Portera Landscape Design installed a drainage system that fixed our problem. We would have a muddy yard for several days after a big rain, now we are dry in a few hours. We are very pleased with the drainage work and the other landscaping projects they have completed for us.
Andy and John Paul have done two different jobs for me. In addition to some drainage work done in 2005, they re-did the entire landscape of my front yard in Spring 2009. Their design was excellent and they managed to turn a lifeless yard into one that immediatley attracted comments from neighbors and passers-by. The job was well done, and the work was performed in a professional and thorough manner. I highly recommend Portera for any lanscpae project.
I have used Portera Landscape Design on multiple occasions and the group has always done an excellent job, exceeding my expectations. Our latest project involved the installation of a complicated parking pad. Before beginning, Andy provided us with several options. Once we made a decision, the work was completed timely and in a very professional manner. Working with Portera has always been a great experience. I look forward to working with Andy, John Paul and the entire crew again in the near future.
Portera Landscape Design did a great job with our yard! We have a rather steep incline in our front yard that we just could not seem do anything with. Andy and John Paul studied our yard and designed a plan for us. Their work was prompt, professional and affordable. We would have no hesitation using them again or recommending them to friends!
Janis S.,Tuscaloosa,AL Andy and John Paul did a wonderful job for me in making a small area of my backyard much more inviting with the stone walkway and choice of plantings. They are timely about giving you an estimate and explaining what the work will entail. A great company for all your landscape needs.
Andy was very prompt with all of the work. He showed up when he said he would and kept us up to date on every detail of the project via email; sometimes twice a day! What a refreshing change from most of today’s service people! Andy gave us a detailed list of everything he proposed to plant for our approval. He even planted some old favorites of ours! The workmen were courteous and neat. Our yard is beautiful and well worth the cost.
The whole yard looks great! I could not be happier. They finished the job quickly and were always prompt. They have come out to check on things as well just to make sure everything was working out.
This was a great experience. First, they showed up on time to give the estimate, and were very professional yet very nice. I received the estimate the same day via email. They were able to start the project immediately. The removal of the wooden patio, and even the first layer of rock were done in one day, I was amazed. And it was a crew between 2-3 people. As the project continued they kept in daily contact with me about what was going on via emails at the end of the day, which I really appreciated. The project took two weeks, and I am extremely pleased with the outcome. I will certainly hire Andy and his crew again.
The process was wonderful. The Porteras treated my property as if it were their own. The employees are very kind and considerate. They were flexible with my schedule as I wanted to be included in decisions for the plant materials. There were some unexpected issues with the drainage problems we were having, but they were either quick to respond to my concerns or they addressed the issues even before I had a chance to bring them to their attention. They did everything they said they would and then they went above and beyond that at times.