Meet Kevin O’Brien!

Kevin O’Brien has been part of our Lifestyle family since October of 1999. He is a designer/salesman. Kevin is unique, creative and loves being able to come up with innovative solutions for his clients. Kevin is a fun-spirited individual that brings many distinctive qualities to Lifestyle. He is always ready to cheer you up with a funny story. We are lucky to have him here.

Kevin most appreciates when he gets to spend time with his family. The biggest challenge he has faced so far is raising his three year old daughter, Katie, with his wife Patty. The most memorable moments in his life were when he lived in Montana and when Katie was born. The biggest influences on his life have been his close friends. And watch out – Kevin’s biggest pet peeve is a bad driver, so be sure to get out of the way if you see him coming! Other favorites of Kevin’s are archery, Christmas, Spring, rabbits, desserts, and the “Far Side” comics. If you see Kevin around, he is always ready to chat, so be sure to congratulate him on his accomplishments and all that he brings to our Lifestyle family.

January Gardening Tips

• Brush snow off your evergreens after a large snow fall as soon as possible. Use a broom to knock it loose. Be sure and brush upwards, not downwards. This prevents damage do to the heavy weight of the snow and ice.
• Protect your poinsettias from drafts to prolong the bloom and keep them moist, but not wet.
• Apply an anti-desiccant after a thaw to newly planted broadleaved evergreens. This prevents excessive water loss.
• Schedule major tree pruning projects. The dormant season is the best time for this type of dormant pruning.
• Prune away damaged branches to prevent tearing of bark.
• Avoid traffic on the lawn to reduce breakage of the crown of the grass plants.

February Gardening Tips

• Order your seeds for early Spring.
• Thin any climbing roses to get rid of last year’s tangled growth.
• Continue to prune away damaged branches.
• Continue to brush off heavy snow off your evergreens to prevent breakage.
• Prune Summer and Fall blooming shrubs.
• Dormant sprays can be applied. Insects and diseases over-winter in branches and other plant debris, so this application can help in the preventing the spread of such things. Spray on a warmer day where no snow or rain is likely for eight hours.
• Do not remove the mulch from perennials too early, colder weather is likely to come.

March Gardening Tips

• Keep mulch near in case of an extra cold day to toss over plants.
• Remove winter debris from your lawn and beds.
• Divide your Summer and Fall blooming perennials. (Hostas, Shasta Daisies, Daylilies, & Coral Bells are some common perennials that can be divided in spring).
• Wait to divide your Spring blooming perennials until after the bloom period is through.
• Prune Summer blooming shrubs.
• Cut your ornamental grasses to a few inches above the ground.
• Fertilize your flowering bulbs once the leaves have emerged. This will ensure healthy, strong blooming next year.
• Remove bulb foliage only after it has died.

Great time to apply pre-emergent weed control in your planting beds to reduce the amount of weeds during the Spring and Summer.

Understanding how a plant grows enables effective pruning of trees and shrubs so that they maintain an appropriate size along with good health. Pruning during the dormant season results in much less plant stress and creates better aesthetic appeal the following summer.

• Pruning in the winter months during a plant’s dormant, inactive growing state.

• If a plant has outgrown its space or major limbs need to be removed.
• Used when more than one third of the plant must be cut.

• The primary benefit of dormant pruning is where heavy corrective pruning is necessary.
• Allows for major removal of branches without creating the ‘eyesore’ that it would in the Summer.
• The obvious holes created by this major structural pruning will not be as noticeable in the winter.
• It is also easier to see the natural branching structure during this season, which allows for more effective pruning.
• Insects and diseases are not active in the winter, so it is a safer time of the year to prune these plants.
• Pruning during the dormant season results in less plant stress than during active plant growth.