Kurtzbros

An  urban garden  is the perfect way to indulge your green thumb when you don’t have much outdoor space. But what can you do with your tiny urban farm during the cold winter months? Here are some tips for managing your garden through the winter season and obtaining the  gardening supplies  you need to start again next year.    Check for Problems with Your Urban Garden   Before you do anything with the plants, check them for disease and bug infestations. If you spot an infestation or notice some kind of disease affecting the leaves and stems, it’s best just to discard the plants entirely and start over fresh in the spring. It’s a good idea to toss out the soil as well, in case the bugs or disease have affected its quality. You can purchase  new, rich soil  from Kurtz Bros. when the weather warms up again.    Prepare the Plants for the Winter Outdoors   Some hardy, well-established perennials can weather the w...

Is your front yard or backyard looking a little bland? Adding some decorative rocks is one way to spice up the appearance of your outdoor space. Decorative stones come in all shapes and sizes, and you can use them for a variety of do-it-yourself projects around your home. Check out some landscaping ideas featuring some of our landscaping stone types.   Retaining Walls If you have slopes or hills on your property, you may have noticed that specific areas are subject to erosion. Erosion can ruin your landscaping, siphon dirt away from your trees’ roots, eat away at your yard, or even pose a danger to your home’s foundation if it continues.    You can create a retaining wall yourself using broad, flat wall stones that are effective as well as beautiful. Try the varied hues of  Pocono Blend Wall Stone  from Kurtz Bros., or go with the gray-hued Laurel  Mountain Wall Stone . Both stone styles are chunky enough to retain dirt and hewn into shape...

Whether you own just one beautiful piece of personal property or several businesses with outdoor space, you need a good landscaping company. When you’re on the hunt for the right landscaping service or supplier, consider what your goals are for your landscape, the options you want, and the kind of service you expect. Here are some helpful questions to ask landscaping companies so you can narrow your choices down to the  best in the business .     What types  of services does your landscaping company provide?   In some cases, you may have to hire two landscapers to do different parts of a job; but if you can find one company that provides all the services you need and all the necessary supplies as well, it’s a win-win. Ask if the landscaping company if they can do the installation and provide regular maintenance for hardscapes, plants, trees, bushes, lighting fixtures, and other elements of the overall landscape.    Does your...

You’re probably starting to use your fireplace more, now that the really intense cold has set in. Did you know that not every type of firewood works well for regular use? Some of them can even cause creosote buildup, which may start a chimney fire if it isn’t removed. Discover some of the differences in  firewood  types and how they might affect your experience.     Softwoods Softwoods tend to burn too fast, and they often don’t yield the amount of heat that most users are looking for. The most popular softwood is pine, but although it seasons quickly and is easy to ignite, it can carry pockets of sap. When heated, the sap may explode out of the pockets and cause dangerous showers of sparks. Burning pine, spruce, or fir logs can also result in flammable creosote building up inside your chimney, which can eventually result in a chimney fire. For these reasons, most experts do not recommend softwoods for regular use...