- Habitat for Humanity landscape design
We recently hooked Habitat for Humanity up with a sustainable landscape design for a Habitat neighborhood on Martin Drive in Centerpoint. - May Garden Calender
1. Establish a regular maintenance schedule for your lawn. Mow, edge, weed eat and water your lawn consistently; 2. Prune early blooming azaleas that have finished blooming; 3. Remove tree limbs that have no leaves on them; 4. Plant annual color and herbs now - our favs are vinca, angelonia, navajo rose and mystic spires salvia, scaevola, lantana, profusion zinnia; 5. Aerate and fertilize your lawn. - PLD in Birmingham Home & Garden Magazine
Check us out in their March/April 2011 edition! - February 2011 Garden Calender
Do this in February: 1. If you chemically treat your lawn, apply a pre-emergent this month; 2. Prune your apple and pear trees; 3. Give your maiden and pampas grass a "crew cut"; 4. Cut back your Butterfly bush in half to encourage growth and more blooms; 4. Cut back the tattered leaves of liriope, aka monkey grass, by raising your mower to it's highest setting or with a weed eater; 5. Prune back dead limbs and interior branches from your Knockout roses and every 2 years, remove about 1/3 of the branches; 6. Pull winter weeds before they seed and spread; 7. Cut back brown foilage on perennials like ferns, daylilies, daisies, etc.; and 8. Water newly planted trees and shrubs throughly about 1-2x per week on warm February days. - Don't Make These Common Mistakes in Your Landscape in 2011
1. Don't perform Crape Murder. Crape Myrtles do best with just a little bit of pruning; 2. Don't plant trees and shrubs too low in the ground. Keep the root ball just at or above the top of the existing soil when planting; 3. Don't overwater! Most people with irrigation systems water too much. Install a soil moisture sensor system to help you water the right amount; 4. Resist watering your lawn or garden after 12 pm; and 5. Don't mow your grass too low. For example, mow Zoysia to about 1 1/2 inches (or 2 inches if in partial shade) and never cut more than 1/3 of the blade. If you follow these guidelines, you can leave the clippings on your grass after cutting for greener lawn. - January 2011 Garden To Do List
1. Continue planting trees and shrubs; 2. Test your soil and set up a 2011 fertility program; 3. Till your vegetable garden if the ground is dry to eliminate insects, weeds, etc.; 4. Prune Pampas Grass clumps to 12 inches and remove any dead stems; 5. Give houseplants a bath in lukewarm water; 6. Water your pansies and kale after a hard freeze to re-hydrate their wilted leaves; 7. Hold off on fertilizing your lawn until Spring when your yard starts to "green up"; and 8. Replace or sharpen your mower blade. Happy New Year! - November To Do List for Alabama Gardens
In the next few weeks, your yard would be happy if you did any or all of the following: 1. Rake the leaves off your lawn and start a compost pile (request our E-mail newsletter for How To Start A Compost Pile). It will reap big benefits next Spring; 2. Remove dead limbs or branches from your trees and shrubs; 3. Put down fresh straw or mulch after leaves fall. When mulching around trees, remember to keep mulch a few inches away from the tree's trunk; 4. Fertilize your pansies about every 3 weeks with a water soluble fertilizer that is high in nitrogen; and 5. Plant bulbs, shrubs and trees. This is a great time of year to make additions to your garden. - It is time to rake those leaves!
Get those leaves off your lawn. Wet leaves left on your lawn can create dead spots that you will see in the Spring. - Landscaping Audit
Call or email to set up a comprehensive audit of your landscape to improve it's overall health. After an initial meeting with you, we will perform a detailed analysis of your landscape and provide you with a detailed report regarding your existing shrubs, turf, trees, drainage, irrigation and hardscapes. Our report will offer recommendations that will be focus on improving the overall health and sustainability of your landscape. It will not only save you money in future maintenance costs but will also increase the overall health of your yard! All this for only $300 through the end of this year (normally $400). Call or email today and get on your way to a healthier, sustainable landscape! - Forest Park Garden Club - 11/15/10
We are speaking to the Forest Park Garden Club on Sustainable Landscaping on Monday, November 15th. Please call or email if you are interested in us speaking to your garden club, homeowner's association, etc.
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.
We are completely satisfied with the design and work that Andy and his crew at Portera Lanscape did for our yard renovation. The work was done on time and on budget, despite some last minute changes and additions that we wanted. All-in-all, it was a stress-free experience. We highly recommend Portera Landscape.
Andy and his team did a great job! We had some major drainage issues that they were able to take care of, and they added some much needed landscaping. The whole project only took a few days, and our new yard makes our house look a whole lot better than it did before. Andy also took a lot of time to explain how we can ensure that our yard stays nice and gave us some good tips on how to care for all of the plants. I will definitely recommend Portera Landscaping!
We are 100% satisfied with the professional landscape work provided by Portera Landscape. The selection of plants and other landscape material were well thought out and ideal for our home. The knowledge and dedication of the Portera team was clearly evident in the finished product. Portera Landscape owners and staff were always very courteous and friendly to the us and our children. I would recommend Portera to anyone and look forward to working with them again for our future landscape needs.
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.