CA Contractors #344056
The term “sustainable holiday decorating” wasn’t even a conscious thought back in the days when a single blow-up Santa on your front lawn, with a string of lights around the front door, was the epitome of holiday decorating. These days, holiday decorating ideas are bigger than life. While these displays look incredible, they can take a toll on your landscape if you aren’t careful.
As a Bay Area landscape company, we’ve resuscitated and renovated more post-holiday landscape traumas than we can count. That’s why we’ve come up with this list of “dos-and-don’ts” for sustainable holiday decorating as you get ready to “beat the neighbors” with this year’s outdoor holiday decoration plans.
Putting the same things, in the same locations, year after year can take a cumulative toll on the lawn, soil, and irrigation lines beneath them. This is especially true if the decorations are stakes or anchored into the ground.
One massive tip to make sure your holiday decorating is sustainable is to create some type of rotating holiday decoration plan so that different decorations live in different places from year to year, allowing the ground beneath to recover even longer.
Never use nails or staples in your trees or shrubs. When it comes to sustainable holiday decorating, any “penetration wounds” will do permanent or irreparable damage and are the exact opposite of sustainable. Holes in the bark or the inner-layers of trunks and branches make your favorite landscape features more vulnerable to pests. It can also inhibit the tree or shrub’s water and nutrient absorption. Instead, use landscape tape or soft cordage to hold ornaments, lights, or other decorations in place.
And, while we’re at it, here’s a plug from all of our roofing and siding contractor friends; only use approved, dedicated hooks or light hangers on your roofing or siding materials to prevent penetrating important waterproofing materials or other elements that compromise structural integrity.
Unlike colder climates, where lawns die off over the winter months, we live in a region where homeowners maintain vibrant lawns year-round. If you are proud of your lawn, do it a favor and concentrate on finding lighter-weight decorations to keep the underlying grass alive.
Heavy decorations take their toll on lawns. They crush the grass stems, which chokes them off and creates yellow, brown, or dead zones. They can also permanently press down softer soils, making for uneven lawn contours which can be dangerous. In worst-case scenarios, heavy or stake-bound decor leaves unsightly holes behind, which also become trip hazards.
To prevent electrical shorts and fires, never use old, torn, or compromised electrical cords. Replace any old cords (a cord with two prongs is a dead-ringer for being outdated!) with new, outdoor cords and make sure they’re plugged into a designated GFCI circuit.
Never overload the electrical circuits. And, as long as you’re giving older electrical cords a once over, make sure to replace any outdated lights - especially those that run hot. If the light is hot to the touch when lit, it should be replaced immediately to prevent a fire hazard.
Professional landscape designers spend a fair amount of time on lighting design for their clients, ensuring our clients’ landscapes have lighting that is safe, can be used for tasks, and that creates some ambiance.
Use this same model when thinking about holiday lighting. Are there decorations or lights so bright they help to illuminate walkways and paths for safety? What about decor that compliments or highlights a particular landscape or hardscape feature you love? If so, place those intentionally so your holiday lighting plan supports your everyday version.
Never climb trees, trellises, or other landscape features to hang lights or holiday decorations. Branches that look perfectly healthy can have weak spots that break and lead to accidents and injuries. Trellises and other landscape features are designed for looks, but not to support the weight.
Always use a ladder, fully opened, and with respect to the manufacturer’s instructions - observing all safety rules and regulations. If your ladder isn’t tall enough, invest in one that is or hire a handyman or another professional to help you get the job done correctly and safely. We recommend using a partner, even if s/he just stands by to hand you what you need and keep you company. That way, you’ll have immediate help if something goes wrong.
Before you begin to hang or string your lights, or before hanging any decorations, trim back any dead growth from trees and shrubs. First and foremost, if there is any risk of sparks or an overheated light, healthy, living plant material is less likely to catch on fire. Dry tinder puts your household - and your neighborhood - at risk.
However, dead branches and growth are more likely to break under the weight of lights/decor, which will ruin the effect you were going for originally. Finally, this is a great way to keep your landscape looking its best from season to season. It’s a win-win.
Pounding stakes or supports into the ground puts utility lines, pipes, and irrigation elements at risk. Punctures of these types of systems range from the annoying to the downright dangerous. We recommend reviewing utility plans (call 8-1-1 and underground utility lines will be marked for FREE) as well as irrigation plans to make sure your attempts to anchor or stabilize holiday decorations don’t result in unnecessary repair bills and a big, fat hassle.
As you’re installing - and once you’ve completed installing - your holiday decorations and lights, pay close attention. It’s a good idea to cover sprinkler heads to keep them from being knocked over or broken off. Rose bushes and other flowering shrubs are sensitive to breakage so keep a clear distance and make sure nothing is leaning against them. If you notice branches or a particular plant looks weighted down or is leaning over, remove extra weight, and start again.
Does your landscape need a post-holiday spruce up? Contact us here at Bay Area Landscapes and we’ll get you on our January calendar.