Frederick the Great, King of Prussia, built the grand Sansoucci Palace during the mid-18th century. Located in Potsdam, Germany, it served as a retreat away from the pressures of public life in Berlin. The beautiful grounds surrounding the palace, Sansoucci Park, have become world-renowned for exquisite views and lavish landscaping. Today, over one million visitors each year visit the gardens and palace, which have been designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Getting to Know Sansoucci Park

Sansoucci Park spans over a mile. As visitors take a leisurely stroll along the grounds, they can see the famed terraces, which pay homage to the grand fountain at the center. A walk through the park is a walk back in time. Visitors can see the major influences of Frederick the Great’s aesthetic intertwined with subsequent expansions by King Frederick William IV. The latter ruler expanded the gardens, created the landscaped park, and dotted the grounds with buildings reminiscent of Neoclassicism and German Romanticism. Sansoucci Park is also famed for its more than 1,000 sculptures.

Viewing the Gardens

Nearly 60 gardeners tend to the grounds throughout the year. Visitors will enjoy the beautiful meadows, carefully tended flowerbeds, and terraced vineyards. The gardens are home to an incredible diversity of plant life, including striking fig trees, yew trees, box hedging, and all sorts of flowers.

Getting There

Sansoucci Park in Potsdam, Germany is open year-round, seven days per week from 8:00 am until dusk. It’s wheelchair accessible with assistance. Guided tours are available, including special options for groups. Entrance is free, but donations are encouraged.

The monsoon storms in Arizona can pour an alarming amount of water onto your property in a short amount of time. Is your backyard equipped to handle the precipitation? If you’ve previously had problems with water drainage, consider talking to a professional landscaping company before the next big storm hits.

Ensure that your backyard is graded properly.

Good drainage starts with the proper grading. The slope of the ground should always go down as it moves away from the house. Ideally, the slope should be between two and five percent. This means that for every 10 feet you move away from your home, the ground elevation decreases between two and five inches. New construction builders should have the ground properly graded before they sell the home, but if yours isn’t graded correctly, you can consult a landscaping company to find out about your options.

Check your downspouts.

If you’ve noticed standing water or soggy areas in your yard, the problem could be something as simple as a misdirected downspout. Check each of your downspouts to see if they are pointing toward a low part of the yard. If so, redirect them. If you have a sump pump in your basement, you should also check the direction of the discharge pipe.

Install new gutters.

Plenty of homes in Arizona are built without any gutters at all. Gutters might seem superfluous in a desert region. However, if you don’t have gutters, the water from the monsoon rains pours straight down off the roof. It pools around the walls, causing foundation damage. It may even wash away smaller, shallow-rooted plants that are located close to your home. If your home lacks gutters, consider installing them as a way to get a handle on your drainage issues.

Since 1985, residents and business owners in the Tucson area have turned to Santa Rita Landscaping for exceptional service and unbeatable expertise. Our award-winning services include rough grades, finish grades, and landscaping to ensure proper drainage. Call (520) 623-0421.

Nestled in British Columbia is the lush landscape of Abkhazi Garden. This small garden makes a big impact with its unique design and colorful array of plants. The garden is home to ponds where you can see birds and turtles relaxing, and it’s maintained following organic practices. When you visit Abkhazi Garden, you’ll see swaths of heather, dramatic hedges, mature conifers and oaks, and a variety of native plant species. Continue reading to discover more about this garden and its colorful history.

The History of Abkhazi Garden

It’s no surprise that such a unique garden would have been created by a truly special pair of gardeners. Prince Nicholas Abkhazi was part of a royal Georgian family and met his future wife, Peggy Pemberton Carter, in Paris prior to World War II. During the war, they were both imprisoned in war camps. After being released, Peggy made her way to Victoria and purchased a beautiful, one-acre lot of land. The pair reconnected through letters, and eventually married. Together, they chose plants to enhance the natural beauty of their land, which features unique rocky slopes and large native oak trees. They cared for and loved their garden as if it was their child, and dedicated over 40 years to refining its beauty. The garden is designed to provide a sequence of different views and experiences, from the Rhododendron Woodland Garden to the Yangtze River lawn. Today, Abkhazi Garden is owned and maintained by The Land Conservancy.

Visiting Abkhazi Garden

From October through March, Abkhazi Garden is open from 11 am to 5 pm, Wednesday through Sunday. During the rest of the year, you can visit the garden from 11 am to 5 pm on any day of the week. In addition to a stunning horticultural collection, Abkhazi Garden features a teahouse where you can enjoy afternoon tea and light refreshments. The cost of admission is a suggested donation of $10 per person, and dogs are allowed to visit the garden if kept on leash.

Having a lush, green lawn offers many benefits—it looks beautiful, it’s perfect for playing games and relaxing on, and it feels soft underfoot. However, keeping your grass healthy and maintained can take a lot of work—and in Arizona, it also takes a lot of water. If you’ve been contemplating making the switch to artificial grass, right now is the perfect time to do it. Continue reading to find out more about converting your lawn to artificial grass.

The Benefits of Switching to Artificial Grass

One of the top advantages of synthetic grass over live grass is how much easier it is to take care of. You won’t have to worry about seeding, fertilizing, mowing, and watering throughout the year, so you’ll get to spend more time relaxing in your yard rather than caring for it. In addition, you won’t have to worry about your grass becoming unsightly and brown in winter, or struggling to stay lush during the hot summer. Instead, your artificial lawn will always look great, no matter the season. You’ll also be able to conserve water—which is crucial when living in a desert—and enjoy lower water bills each month.

The Process of Switching to Artificial Grass

If you will be replacing live grass with artificial grass, the first step will be to apply an herbicide to kill the existing grass. Your landscape design company can perform this task for you. Once the lawn has died off, your landscapers will remove it and prepare the area for artificial grass installation. First, the ground will be leveled to eliminate any bumps or dips that could affect your new synthetic lawn. Next, the artificial grass will be rolled out onto the ground, secured in place, and trimmed to fit the space. For a polished look, ask your landscape designer about adding a stone border to the edges of your artificial lawn.

The Maintenance Needed for Artificial Grass

Unlike traditional lawns, your new artificial grass will be very easy to maintain. Rinsing down your synthetic lawn once a week will keep it clean and ready to enjoy. You should also rake your grass periodically to remove debris and help the grass fibers stand up. If you have pets, be sure to remove solid waste right away and use an enzyme cleaner to keep your artificial grass odor-free.

Are you ready to make the switch to artificial grass? Santa Rita Landscaping is ready to help! Late summer is the perfect time to start the installation process, so don’t hesitate to give our landscape company in Tucson a call at (520) 623-0421.

Your landscaping inspiration may come from a variety of places, but few gardens can compare to the manicured and pristine beauty of the formal gardens at Afton Villa. This historic plantation site in St. Francisville, Louisiana is worth a visit to explore the unique design features that sprawl 20 acres on the site of the former residence of The Barrows Family, who purchased the property in 1820.

A Historic Plantation

The Afton Villa was the residence that once stood at the site of the gardens, and the ruins can still be seen today. However, the residence itself burned down in 1963. This was just shy of two decades after the home was purchased by Mr. and Mrs. Wallace Percy, who had completely restored the home to its original Gothic revival style.

Restored Formal Gardens

Though the home was destroyed, the gardens were seen by the Thimble family as a site worth preserving. The Thimbles purchased the property after the villa burned down and were able to make living quarters in the pool quarters. They began an extensive restoration project to bring the formal garden back to life, all while preserving its iconic original features and character. Today, the gardens feature a daffodil valley, pleasure grounds, ruins gardens, formal parterre garden, and a family cemetery. Even driving to the garden entrance is a uniquely beautiful experience, as you will be surrounded by huge old-growth oak trees lining the road.

Visiting the Gardens

You can visit the gardens in the spring or fall. They are open seven days a week between March 1st and June 30th and between October 1st and November 30th. Admission is $5 for adults and free for children under 12.