Do You Just Need a Fall Cleanup — or Do You Need Ongoing Care?

“I got an HOA notice. Can you just clean it up?”

Yes. We do one-time cleanups for homeowners who got cited for weeds, debris, overgrowth, or general neglect. That solves the immediate problem, and sometimes that’s all you need.

But here’s the part nobody likes hearing: in most cases, the property didn’t get cited because you skipped a fall cleanup. It got cited because the yard hasn’t had consistent attention.

HOAs are usually looking for:

- Sightline safety: Can plants block sidewalks, driveways, or address numbers?

- Weed control: Are there obvious nuisance weeds in rock beds?

- Fire/visibility: Is dry or dead material piling up against walls or structures?

- Irrigation runoff onto sidewalks

Those are not seasonal issues. Those are maintenance issues.

Why once-a-year cleanup costs more than ongoing maintenance

A once-a-year cleanup is heavier work. Crews have to:

- Cut back material that should’ve been managed months ago

- Haul away large volumes of green waste

- Re-edge and redefine beds that disappeared under growth

- Reset the visual baseline of the property

That’s slow, labor-heavy work. So yes, it’s absolutely doable — but it’s also the most expensive way to “maintain” a yard.

When a seasonal cleanup makes sense

There *are* good reasons to schedule a dedicated fall or pre-winter cleanup:

- You want the property to present well for holiday traffic or sale photos

- You’re about to overseed or refresh planter beds

- You’d like us to reset pruning structure on shrubs/trees before the cooler season

Those are smart times to do a focused service.

The best strategy if you’re busy and don’t want to think about this

Most of our long-term clients do this:

1. Light recurring maintenance to keep things in spec and off the HOA radar.

2. Scheduled seasonal detailing (usually fall or spring) to make everything look “new” again.

That combo keeps cost reasonable, keeps you compliant, and keeps the yard from drifting into “we need to fix this now or the HOA will fine me.”

Your options

If you just need an emergency cleanup, we can do it. If you’re tired of cycling through emergency cleanups, we can build you into a regular route instead so the problem goes away. Ask us which option makes more sense for your property.

Smart Controllers

water smart landscape in Summerlin, Las vegas

As water resources become increasingly scarce and expensive, it's more important than ever for people in arid regions like the Las Vegas desert to use water wisely. Smart irrigation controllers are a great tool for achieving this goal, as they provide a number of benefits that can help conserve water, save money, and improve the health of your plants. In this blog post, we'll explore some of the key benefits of smart irrigation controllers in the desert.

1. Increased Efficiency

One of the main benefits of smart irrigation controllers is increased efficiency. Traditional irrigation systems typically water on a set schedule, regardless of weather conditions or the actual needs of the plants. Smart controllers, on the other hand, use data from weather sensors and soil moisture sensors to determine exactly when and how much to water. This means that your plants get exactly the amount of water they need, without wasting any water on unnecessary watering cycles.

2. Water Conservation

Another benefit of smart irrigation controllers is water conservation. By only watering when necessary and using the minimum amount of water required, smart controllers can help conserve water in the desert. In addition, some smart controllers are designed to adjust watering schedules based on the season or plant type, further reducing water waste.

3. Cost Savings

Using a smart irrigation controller can also lead to cost savings. By reducing the amount of water used, you'll see a reduction in your water bill. In addition, some smart controllers are eligible for rebates or incentives from our local water utility, the Southern Nevada Water Authority, which can help offset the cost of installation.

4. Improved Plant Health

Smart irrigation controllers can also improve the health of your plants. By providing just the right amount of water, plants are less likely to suffer from overwatering or underwatering, which can lead to root rot, disease, or other issues. In addition, by watering at the right time of day, when evaporation is lowest, plants are better able to absorb the water they need, which can improve their overall health and growth.

5. Remote Access and Control

Many smart irrigation controllers also offer remote access and control. This means that you can control your irrigation system from your smartphone or computer, no matter where you are. This is especially useful for desert regions, where weather conditions can change rapidly and you may need to adjust your watering schedule on short notice.

6. Environmental Benefits

Finally, using a smart irrigation controller can have environmental benefits. By conserving water, you're helping to reduce the strain on local water resources and the environment as a whole. In addition, by using less water, you're also reducing the amount of energy needed to pump and transport water, which can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Conclusion

Smart irrigation controllers are an excellent tool for conserving water, saving money, and improving plant health in the Mojave desert. By using data from weather sensors and soil moisture sensors, smart controllers are able to provide just the right amount of water at the right time, while also offering remote access and control. With benefits like increased efficiency, water conservation, cost savings, improved plant health, and environmental benefits, it's clear that smart irrigation controllers are a great investment for anyone living in the desert, especially us Vegas locals!

Winter Gardening Tips For Las Vegas

Now that the festive days of the year have passed and you've had your fair share of pumpkin pie, it's once again time to get to work. So without further a do lets jump right in! 

Things you should be doing now:

-Planning 

-Inspecting

-Preventing

-Acting  

Now let’s go ahead and dive deeper on each topic. 

Planning: Winter time is great to catch your breath and look at the year ahead. Now is a great time to be planning any landscape improvements such as new plantings, landscape lighting, or placing that garden gnome. If you have not fertilized your garden in more than 6 months, plan to fertilize with a balanced fertilizer right around Valentines day. 

Inspecting: Deciduous trees and shrubs that lose their leaves in the winter should be inspected for potential issues. Pruning is the most important task undertaken in the dead of winter and consists of selective removal of branches to improve the quality of your shrubs/ trees. General reasons to prune are to remove dead and or diseased wood, training/ improvement of structure, and aesthetics. Inspect evergreen plant leaves for signs of disease (spots, blotches) and nutrient deficiencies (discoloration, yellowing). 

Preventing: This topic has to do with the current cold temperatures and the upcoming growing season. It's always a good idea to know which of your plants/ trees are cold sensitive and to cover these plants when temperatures dip below freezing. Cold sensitivity varies between plant species and simple coverings with light blankets, old sheets, or burlap can help to shelter a plant on a cold winter night. To prevent insect/ pest issues on known plant hosts such as (roses, fruit trees, etc) it is a good idea to apply horticultural oils and or horticultural soaps. Application of these two aid in keeping pest populations low by suffocating them right before they begin their reproduction cycles. 

Acting: Now! With some helpful tips it's time to get out the hand pruners, hand saws, and slip on those garden boots!

Las Vegas Smart Irrigation: Get Your Rebate!

It’s a drought out there and now is the time to improve your irrigation system.

Keep reading to learn how to save time, money, and water!

One of the most critical components to all irrigation systems are irrigation controllers. These units allow our systems to run automatically with ease. Traditional controllers irrigate based on settings programmed by a professional or homeowner. They require manual programming to update settings for each seasons water mandates. Wouldn’t it be nice if you or your landscape professional could update settings from any device?

Here comes the “smart” in smart irrigation: a wifi enabled controller that’s able to be controlled remotely from any device with internet, local weather data, and many other water saving features. Our company is a Certified Rachio pro installer. After installing and working with many other brands of smart controllers we have chosen Rachio as our partner due to ease of use and outstanding customer support.

What about the rebates? Glad you asked because the Southern Nevada Water Authority offers a one-time rebate of 50% off the cost of the unit up to $100. These units typically cost around $200 and getting half off isn’t too shabby.

We can help to install your new controller, setup your irrigation zones, and program schedules that could run for up to a year! Taking the guess work out of irrigation is one less thing to worry about in our already hectic lives.