Author Archives: Tobi Ulemek

About Tobi Ulemek

Hi! I've been an Orange County Landscaper since I was a kid when I got to use my first lawnmower. TRU Landscape has grown a lot since then, and now we do so much more than residential and commercial maintenance. We are a full service landscape construction company that builds hardscape, installs patio areas, and makes custom concrete products like outdoor fireplaces and fire pits.

Modern Backyard Remodel

Modern Backyard Remodel

A modern backyard for the modern home.  Perhaps you have a small backyard and are bored with the space.  Chances are, you have more options for landscape renovation than you realize!  In this small backyard, our company was able to reclaim the entire backyard landscape for barbecues, playtime, picnics, and fireside stories!  All it took was a little planning, some elbow grease, and one Orange County landscape company.

Modern Backyard Remodel Fire PitAre you lost in a Suburban sea?  Are you tired of your backyard looking exactly like your neighbors?  Tract homes may begin devoid of personality, but there’s plenty of room to personalize your outdoor space, however small.

In this case, the homeowners were already thinking big when they contacted us about installing a fire pit and outdoor living area.  It turned out they were ready to take charge of the rest of their yard too!  Cheap synthetic turf had been installed throughout.  This low quality Chinese turf only looked good for a short period.  It was time for that scraggly fake grass to go!  Time to start over.

TRU Landscape Services renovated three areas of this Costa Mesa Landscaping project.  Stay tuned to see before and after pictures of the side yard, backyard, and outdoor living area.

Interlocking Pavers Walkway

If you own a home with a small yard, you’re probably familiar with this problem area: the walkway “side yard.”  The “side yard” is actually just wide enough for a walk way.  The space can easily become cluttered or muddy if you don’t have the proper walkway installed.

Before Interlocking Pavers InstallationTo replace the unattractive concrete blocks that were in place, our customer chose interlocking pavers.  We used a herringbone pattern with dark grey “blueish” paving stones.  As you can see, the interlocking pavers compliment the overall modern feel with cooler colors.

Interlocking Pavers Walkway in Orange CountyThe pavers walkway extends to the front yard and now eliminates the chance for tracking mud and dirt.  A much cleaner, more pleasant experience overall.

American Synthetic Turf Installation

Like we mentioned earlier, the back yard had aging Chinese synthetic turf installed.  We built the planter wall that you see in the background when the customer decided to have their synthetic turf replaced.  As you can see, it was worse for wear…

Artificial Turf removal and Synthetic grass replacement

Look at the difference! Whenever possible, TRU Landscape Services uses only products made in the USA.  Don’t let a fast talking company take advantage of you by convincing you to install cheap alternatives.  When it comes to installations like turf and paving stones that receive high traffic, you will want to use materials that last. Try us today for Synthetic Turf installations.

Synthtic-Turf-Backyard

Modern Outdoor Living Area

Here comes the main focal point of the modern backyard remodel: the fire pit and bench area.  As you can see, the space looks pretty small to begin with.  When we arrived there was a relatively unusable patch of gravel with some plants in the corners.  Our customer tasked us with building custom planters, benches, and a fire pit.  As you can see in this picture, we sprayed out the location of the installation with paint to help the customer visualize the finished Orange County landscape before beginning.  It’s cool to start with a blank canvas.

Before Paver Side Yard Renovation

Here’s the finished product!  Take it all in for a second.  Although we installed a lot of new hardscape into this area, it actually has the effect of opening the area up.  By making the space more useable, the homeowner actually “increased” their backyard space.  In effect, installing a new patio area extended their backyard!

Back Area LandscapeNote how the reed plants, planter walls, and tree add vertical height to the space, also making it feel less cluttered.  Our customer was very happy with the benches that we built into the stucco planter walls.  Custom wood benches are definitely a great feature to consider in your home remodel.

If you’re ready to transform your backyard space of whatever size, call TRU Landscape Services, your trusted Orange County Landscaper.

Just call us today for a free estimate on any fixture from fire pits to synthetic turf, to pavers and so much more!

1-866-487-1359

Concrete Entryway Remodel & Landscape Lighting

Concrete Entryway Remodel

We recently completed this front yard landscape remodel in Orange County California. Stick around till the end for a cool video of the finished landscape project!

Concrete Entryway Orange County
The landscape was transformed from unappealing and unfinished to inviting and complete with the addition of a concrete entryway.  All it took was a little elbow grease, concrete, landscape lighting, sod and plants.  But, it all started with a palm tree removal.

We were called out to a landscape in Westminster for a tree job.  When our salesman arrived at the customer’s house, the customer told him that the palm tree could be dropped across the yard.  Why?  Because they were planning on installing a new front yard landscape.

Before and After Pictures

The customer told us that they had their backyard landscaped 6 months back.  They wanted to hire the same contractor, but he was not returning our customer’s phone calls.  Luckily, TRU Landscape Services is much more than a tree service!  Our salesman explained to the customer that we perform all of that work they needed to complete the project. The customer requested an estimate for the entire front yard landscape remodel.  A few days later, the customer called us back and hired us.

On day one, we removed the Palm trees and the grass from the front yard. On this project we had to change the grade of the front yards to flow away from the house and the new installations.Concrete Walkway Orange County

Concrete Walkway and Planter Walls

As an Orange County concrete contractor, we were well prepared for the scope of installations on this remodel. To begin with, the customer had an idea of the design for the front yard, but was open for suggestions. The purpose of re-landscaping the front yard was to add curb appeal, accent the already beautiful home, and provide a more inviting entryway.  To achieve this, we built a concrete walkway, stucco planter walls, bullnose concrete steps, and a ceramic tile front porch.

Low Voltage Landscape Lighting Orange County

Our design for the concrete walkway includes concrete bull nose steps as you can see in the picture.  It also incorporates path landscape lighting into the steps themselves.  The customer really liked the idea of the walkway being surrounded by a planter wall. We installed a block wall with a concrete cap on top of the wall. We applied stucco to the side of planter walls for a finished look. To finish the entryway experience, we installed a custom tile on the front porch.  Our customer really liked the wood grain ceramic tile.  And with that, from sidewalk to porch, the entryway was complete.

Ceramic Tile Porch

Landscape Lighting Orange County

After completing the concrete work we moved onto installing the softscape, plants and lighting.

On this project, we meet the customer at the nursery to go over the plants.  After meeting, we had a clear idea of the trees and plants that the customer wanted. Once the plants were set in place, the crew planted soil amendments and fertilizer tabs. That’s how you start things off right!  These fertilizer tablets last up to 3 years giving the plant all of the proper nutrients to grow big and healthy.

Landscape Lighting Orange County

After our crews were done planting, we installed LED low voltage lights. LED landscape lighting was placed in key positions throughout the planters.  We haven’t taken any night pictures of the property, but it looks great in the dark!

To display all of the trees, we also installed “up lights”.  Path landscape lighting completed the picture.  We installed LED step lights on the walkway steps to provide visibility at night.  This low voltage landscape lighting installation showcases the concrete work and plants.  Now, whether day or night, our customer can enjoy their property to the full!

You can see the completed front yard landscape remodel in this video:

If you’re looking for an Orange County front yard landscape remodel, call us today for a free estimate.  Just dial 1-866-487-1359 to reach us during the day.  Feel free to leave a phone message or send an email if you are outside of service hours: info@trulandscape.com

Santa Ana Natural Gas Fuel Station Grand Opening

Natural Gas Fueling Station Opens

Today TRU Landscape Services was at the grand opening of the Timco CNG fuel station. The new natural gas fueling station is located in Santa Ana  off of E First Street.   It opened today, Earth Day 2014.  Natural gas is a clean energy fuel alternative to gasoline.  It also has other benefits like low price.  We are proud to have served the community by doing the landscaping and irrigation for this new natural gas station.

Timco CNG Santa Ana First Street

What a price! Natural Gas is inexpensive.

CNG Price Per Gallon

The new compressed natural gas station is getting a lot of looks from passersby.  A gallon of natural gas is only $1.49 as of April 22, 2014!  This is obviously a big selling point for CNG vehicles.  This Orange County station provides a convenient CNG fueling stop for those traveling between San Diego and Los Angeles.

CNG Fuel Station Santa Ana

Santa Ana CNG Station

During the grand opening, there were vehicles fueling up at the station including many Yellow Cabs which are set up to run on Compressed Natural Gas (CNG).  There were also vehicles from several manufacturers that can run on this alternate fuel source.  This is the first Compressed Natural Gas Fueling Station that is open to the public in Santa Ana.  The company, Timco CNG, is will be opening other public-access fueling stations in the future.

CNG Grand Opening

And just in case you’re looking to fuel up, the address for the Santa Ana CNG station is 1601 E 1st Street, Santa Ana, CA 92701.

First Street Natural Gas Station

TRU Landscape is glad to have been a part of making this big day special.  To learn more about TRU Landscape Services and what we can do for your commercial property, call us today at 1-866-487-1359.  All of our estimates are quick and free of cost.

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In the meantime, we also welcome you to watch our latest video below about some of our other Orange County landscape services including concrete patios and decks, interlocking pavers, landscape LED Lighting, and sprinkler systems.

More Information on CNG

More on this story

Interlocking Pavers & Landscape Grades

Interlocking Pavers & Landscape Grades

There’s a lot that goes on before a landscape job.  To read the story behind this Irvine Landscaping project, check out our blog “Choosing the Right Licensed Landscape Contractor.”  In summary, TRU Landscape was hired  because our company is licensed and can complete an entire landscape job under one roof.

Pavers Entryway Before and After

Orange County Interlocking Pavers

The primary part of the Irvine Hardscape installation was a patio of interlocking pavers. The job itself entailed a lot of work although the yard itself was on the small side.  In preparation, we removed 8 inches of dirt from the whole yard to set the grade.  The dirt removed amounted to several tons!  While we were removing the dirt, our team dug out the patio cover footings.  We also installed drains to receive water coming off of the grade. Setting Landscape GradeDuring the inspection, the Orange County landscape inspector noticed that we had our grades set up so that all of the water would run away from the house into the drains.  He told us we were doing a professional job!  It’s always nice to get a complement from a city inspector.

What is a landscape grade?

A landscape grade is set up to keep the water flowing away from your house. In the case of installing interlocking pavers, we make sure that all of the pavers slope away from the house to the drains.  Over 25 years in the landscape industry, we have seen a lot of grades that drain into the house!  The city inspector has most likely seen many of these improperly graded landscapes as well.  Water sitting on pavers is a slipping hazard and may cause water damage over time. Also once the water is sitting against your house, it can cause moisture issues and even destroy the stucco.   Most of the time this happens because the contractor doesn’t want to haul away all of the dirt to get the grade of the dirt down low enough or they don’t use a transit.

Front Yard Landscape Grade

What is a transit?

It’s a spyglass-like tool that is used to measure grades.  For our projects we use a laser transit to ensure an accurate measurement.  This is crucial when pouring concrete patios, decks or interlocking pavers. If it’s possible, we always install a drain system and have all the water run to the drains.  Keeping water off of your backyard patio and away from your house will ensure the longevity of your landscape!  That’s exactly what TRU Landscape Services is all about.  We are confident that our experience and attention to detail will produce a long lasting and beautiful landscape for your home. Pavers InstallationTo learn more about other Irvine Landscaping Projects or to contact us for a free estimate, call us now at 1-866-487-1359 or send us an email info@trulandscape.com

If you’d like to read more blogs like this one, check out our Orange County Landscape Contractor news feed.

Irvine Landscaping Company

Choosing the Right Licensed Landscape Contractor

(part one of a two part post about an Irvine Landscaping project)

Sometimes you need to hire a professional landscape company.  For our latest project in Irvine, the customer needed a bonded and licensed landscape contractor to follow the plans authorized by their Home Owner’s Association. Irvine is a quickly growing, master-planned community, so many of our jobs in Irvine are for new home owners and require the consent of an HOA. We met our customer a few months back when they first moved into their home.  They already had a plan for the Irvine  landscaping submitted to the HOA and were waiting to get approval before starting the work.

Irvine Landscaping Company

One Irvine Landscaping Company for One Landscape

Once they were approved, we gave them an estimate and were hired for the job because we could complete the entire job under one roof.  The customer wanted a backyard patio area surfaced with interlocking pavers and a fresh landscape with a new sprinkler system.  They took estimates from a couple of companies, but most of these other landscape companies only did hardscape or just softscape.  This was a major problem for our customer because both were required for this project.  They have moved several times in the last 10 years and have  played the contractor game before.

Irvine Landscaping Company

One major problem with this “game” of hiring multiple contractors for one landscape is that projects take longer to complete and companies get in each others’ way.  Oftentimes a project will sit unfinished because one contractor has to wait on another to complete his or her portion of the work.  What a headache! This is why our customer wanted one landscaping company to install all of their outdoor elements. Do I need a Licensed Landscape Contractor? Another company that the customer really liked didn’t have a license or insurance.  We were told that many of the new home owners hired this contractor for their large projects.  In fact, this other company is a fairly popular Irvine landscaping contractor in that area. This raises some questions.

Pavers by a Licensed Landscape Contractor

Do you need a contractor’s  license to landscape someone’s house?

The answer is YES.  Any project over $600.00 requires a license in the State of California.  Most hardscape jobs are over this minimum limit. The next question is: What are the downsides to hiring an unlicensed contractor?  Without insurance or a bond, there is nothing to protect the customer from faulty work. An unlicensed landscape contractor can walk away with your money even if they install something like a gas line the wrong way and cause serious damage to your property!  Because of this, for all larger jobs it is best to hire a licensed landscape contractor like TRU Landscape Services (our license number is C-27 894221). To learn more about other Irvine Landscaping Projects or to contact us for a free estimate, call us now at 1-866-487-1359 or send us an email info@trulandscape.com

Click to read about the rest of this Irvine Landscaping project.

Commercial Concrete Repair

Tree Removal becomes Concrete Repair

Our latest commercial landscape job turned out to be more than just a tree removal. Luckily, TRU Landscape Services is also a premiere Orange County concrete repair and construction company. We were able to complete the job in a day, and our customer didn’t have to call in separate independent contractors.

The story begins when TRU Landscape was called out to Anaheim California for a estimate to remove a tree.  During the estimate, our salesman realized that the tree removal was actually a curb removal and replacement too.

Commercial Tree Removal

The project came about because someone planted a Eucalyptus tree in a small planter.  The tree soon grew too big for the planter, raised up the curb and gutter, and damaged the parking lot.  This raised up curb created a tripping hazard.

Orange County Concrete

Our tree crew removed the eucalyptus tree and our concrete team began removing the curb and gutter. First, the landscape concrete crew saw-cut the surrounding concrete from the parking lot. This provides separation between the concrete and the asphalt so that when our bobcat removes the concrete we don’t damage the parking lot.

Commercial Concrete RepairsAfter removing the concrete curb, we brought in our stump grinder and we removed the stump. All of the materials that we remove are recycled in Orange County, including concrete.

Once all of the debris were removed, our crew started setting up the forms to hold the concrete in place for the curb and gutter. When the crew began installing the forms, the foreman called up the concrete truck to bring in the concrete. Efficiency is very important to us, so we always have one portion of construction ready right after the other. After installing the concrete and letting it set up, we pulled the forms off of the finished concrete. This is the important part of the job to make sure the whole project turns out looking smooth and professional. The icing on the cake.

Finishing Commercial Concrete Curb

This entire job was finished in a day!  Had we just been a tree removal company, our customer would have had to hire out separate concrete contractors for the rest of the job.  Instead, we were able to solve their problem in a timely manner.

Anaheim Concrete Repair

TRU Landscape Services takes pride in providing all of your outdoor elements. Why hire several companies and have the hassle of scheduling all of the contractors around each other. We provided this customer several different services in just one day. A project like this would normally take up to 2 weeks to complete. After completing the project, our customer called us up and told us how happy they were because the parking lot was only closed for a short period.

See why everybody is hiring TRU Landscape Services to provide all of their outdoor needs. If you’re looking for a quick fix for your commercial landscape, don’t hesitate to call TRU Landscape today 1-866-487-1359 or CLICK HERE to be taken to our “quick quote” form.

5 Spring Landscaping Tips

5 Spring Landscaping Tips

by Tobi Ulemek

It’s spring time in Orange County California! Here are five spring landscaping tips that will make your Orange County landscape bloom and grow to its full potential.

Pink and Orange Iceland Poppies and a White Rose

As we all know,  weather is a huge part of what makes the OC a great place to grow different varieties of plants, flowers, and trees.  Orange County’s plant hardiness zones range from 9b to 10b (a temperate Mediterranean climate that rarely freezes). Because of this, our weather permits us to plant new landscapes year round. Still, springtime is definitely a great season to spruce up the yard.  Here’re some tips to help you groom your Orange County landscape that are sure to last year long.

1. Check your sprinkler system

Water is what makes the flowers grow! Most areas of the USA have to shut their sprinkler systems down during the winter, but here in Orange County we need to leave our sprinklers running for most of the year. With sprinkler systems, it’s all about coverage and setting a good watering schedule. To make sure each sprinkler head is covering the proper area, turn on each sprinkler station using the timer and inspect the spray from each sprinkler. The stream from each sprinkler head should be spraying onto the next head for “head to head coverage.” Proper sprinkler coverage will help you save water in the long run and keep your landscape nice and green.

Head to Head Sprinkler Systems

2. Apply a “weed and feed” to your lawn

We always recommend that our customers treat their lawns 2 times a year with fertilizer and weed control. The first time in the spring and the second time in the fall. By following this pattern, we’ve found the lawns we maintain to be weed free and green year-round.  To eliminate or help control weeds during the summer, it is important to apply different chemicals during the spring. Mild spring days allow the chemicals to work on killing the weeds in your lawn without stressing out your grass. That way the weeds will be kept at bay and your grass will stay green and alive! Fertilizing your landscapes in the spring time will also help the landscapes to grow strong for the hot summer.  Fertilizer is the “feed” part of “weed and feed.”

3.  Add more plants in the spring time

We get hundreds of calls from people who haven’t planted any new shrubs in their yards for several years and now they don’t like the appearance of the landscape. If you hire a good landscape company, they should be able to keep your plants nice and healthy year round. Finding that good landscape company can be the problem.  If you have been using a less expensive “mow & blow” landscaper, you may need to bring in a company who has a relationship with the nurseries and can tune up your yard on a monthly or quarterly basis.

Orange County Landscape Irrigation

4. Plant more annuals during the spring time

Orange County has great flowers all year around, but spring time flowers are our favorite. To pick the right annuals for your yard, shop around and find those flowers that are just starting to bloom. So many times we see people buy the flowers that are already blooming. They soon realize that these flowers don’t last the longest. Flowers that are just starting to bloom have more time to get their roots established when planted. They will always last longer. Also, when you are planting your flowers, find a fertilizer that will help your annual flowers last for months.

Iceland Poppy in Orange CountySpring Landscaping White Poppy Plant more annuals during Springtime

5. Mulch it!

Now that you have your sprinklers working and your new plants installed, it’s time to mulch everything down. Mulch not only helps control the weeds, but it also helps hold the moisture in the ground. When mulch breaks down, it also adds nutrients to the soil and the plants love this! Install a good layer of mulch on all of your planter beds 2 times a year and you’ll help your plants be healthy and save water at the same time. If you have a small yard, you can use mulch from a bag. If you have a medium to large yard, ask your landscaper where you can by mulch by the quantity. Most of these landscape suppliers will deliver a few yards to your driveway for a fair price.

Mortarless Retaining Wall with Hanging Flowers

6. One last thing…

Our final springtime landscaping tip is to enjoy your yard!  If you’ve followed our easy steps, it’s probably looking pretty great right now!

And remember, TRU Landscape Services is on your side. If you have any questions about your landscape, please feel free and call our friendly staff.  If it’s a question we can’t answer over the phone, we will be glad to come and give you a free estimate to help fix your problem.

We don’t just do sprinkler systems and gardens!  Check out our Orange County landscape construction page for more information on our custom concrete installations and more. TRU Landscape Services; with over 25 years of experience in the landscape industry you know we’ll take good care of you and your lawn!

If you’d like to read more blogs like this one, check out our Orange County Landscape Contractor news feed.

or, for more information, here’re some other Spring Landscaping Tips from experts in the field:

Spring Landscaping Tips from David Beaulieu
Spring Landscaping Tips from Ronique Gibson

 

Garden Grove Landscaping

Garden Grove Landscaping

Pavers and Irrigation

Orange County Interlocking Pavers

A Paver Makeover in Garden Grove

This Garden Grove Landscaping project transformed the customer’s backyard into the perfect place to relax and unwind.  We were happy to take an unusable and unattractive space and turn it into a yard the homeowners can truly enjoy.

Taking advantage of their more spacious Garden Grove yard, the customer came up with their own general design for the plot.  Using the pictures on our website, they decided on a full backyard remodel including a fresh new lawn, a new irrigation system, and a full patio area of interlocking pavers.  When we arrived for demolition, the backyard was full of dirt and weeds with a cracked grey concrete patio area surrounding the home.

That day, we demoed the entire back yard using the Bobcat’s breaker to remove the cracked concrete.  Our team also had to remove 8″ of dirt from half of the back yard and another 4″ from the other half of the back yard.  Altogether we removed (literal) tons of dirt in order to prepare for the sod and paver installation.

Orange County Landscape Demolition

Orange County Interlocking Pavers

On the next day we started to replace the dirt with road base.  For the right compaction, we install Road Base in small layers. This process takes a couple of days because it is so crucial to ensure proper compaction so that the pavers, once set, do not sink, move, or shift.  For each layer, our tractor brings in the road base as our crew levels it out and then we compact the base.

After the road base is brought up to a proper level, we install a 1″ level of sand.  The sand allows the crew install the pavers nice and level, and prevents damage from temperature change and other elements.  After all of the pavers are installed, we lay a layer of polymeric sand on top of the pavers.  Brooming this sand into the joints and then adding a little water creates a solid joint in between the pavers.  After completing the interlocking pavers, we moved on to the sprinkler system and “softscape.”

Orange County Landscape Pavers

Compacting the Road Base

Orange County Landscape Irrigation

Garden Grove landscapes, like the rest of orange County, are going through a major drought!  That’s why it is so important to have an updated sprinkler system to keep your lawn green and save water.  For this home, we installed an automatic sprinkler system in the back yard.  On the grass area, we used Rain Bird 1800 series 4″ sprinklers.  These are fixed heads that will consistently provide great coverage.

In the planters, we installed a drip line.  The drip line we prefer to use has emitters built into it every 12 inches and can cut the water bill down by 50% compared to a convention sprinkler.  In fact we try and use nothing but drip lines in our planters. We installed these drip lines with filters and pressure regulators to ensure water savings and even watering.

To complete the project, we installed the new sod, and there it was, a brand new backyard.  We met with the customer to answer any questions they might have.  Because they were so happy with our work, the customer referred us to their neighbor as well!

Ready to have your yard done?  Click below to be taken to our

Contact Page

How to talk to a Landscape Contractor: “Demo”

Here’s the first in a series of landscaping definitions. Sometimes a landscaper who’s worked in the industry for years will drop confusing jargon pertaining to the specifics of landscaping. Here we want to help clarify some of that terminology over the course of a few new blog entries.

Using a Jackhammer on our Bobcat

Landscape Demolition

What does “Demo” mean?

Our word for today is “Demo.”  This is a shortening of the word “demolition” and can range from pulling out pre-existing plants and turf, to an extensive excavation to prepare for a landscape remodel.

Some “demos” are delicate and require manual removal, whereas concrete removal requires the use of tractors and tools like jackhammers.

Basic Demo usually only takes a day once the plans have been finalized and the property is ready.  More intense demo projects can take more than one day, but it’s always easier to tear things apart than build them up!

Next time you need some landscape demolition, remember TRU Landscape Services the only name you need to know in Orange County Landscape.