Author name: Jesse Peters

Sugar Maple trees are beautiful and eco-beneficial.

Sugar Maple Tree Sugar maple trees (Acer saccharum) are iconic North American trees known for their stunning fall foliage and sap used to produce maple syrup. Here are some key details about sugar maple trees: Sugar Maple Characteristics Size and Growth: Sugar maples can grow to heights of 60-75 feet, with some reaching up to […]

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How to attract Dragonflies to your pond.

Organic Garden Pest Control A Jessecology Guide to Organic Garden Pest Control. Safe for Pollinators, Pets, and People. At Jessecology, we certainly believe healthy landscapes don’t need toxic chemicals. Organic pest control is not only safer for pollinators, pets, and people—it’s obviously also more effective long-term when paired with regenerative landscaping practices. Here’s a concise,

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Aronia berries are native plants for New York state gardens. They fit in well with the front yard permaculture concept.

Front Yard Permaculture. Front Yard Permaculture: Beauty Meets Regeneration. The front yard is more than just curb appeal—it’s a living opportunity for regeneration, biodiversity, and beauty. Traditional permaculture sometimes gets a bad rap for looking messy or unkempt. But with native wildflower literacy and thoughtful design, we can create front yard permaculture landscapes that are

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Why are pollinators important? Cutleaf Coneflower is a native plant with the personality of Big Bird.

Why Are Pollinators Important? Pollinators are vital to both human life and the natural world. Bees, butterflies, moths, hummingbirds, and even some beetles help plants reproduce by carrying pollen from one flower to another. Without these small but mighty creatures, the food on our tables and the beauty of our landscapes would be in serious

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Biodiversity is a living system in the wild, or even urban spots.

Why is Biodiversity Important? Biodiversity is the living tapestry of our world. It’s the mysterious connections between soil and mycorrhizae, the sophisticated nuance of natural forest succession, the puzzle pieces and patchwork quilt tapestry of healthy nature. When we talk about biodiversity, we’re talking about resiliency and physical life itself—interconnected, vibrant, and dynamic. But in

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Wild Bergamot is a beautiful niche plant.

Plants That Repel Ticks Naturally If you’re trying to enjoy your garden without worrying about ticks, you’re not alone. Ticks can carry serious diseases like Lyme, and they thrive in moist, shady areas. Fortunately, nature offers a solution—many plants contain oils and scents that naturally repel ticks. Tick-Repelling Plants to Try Everybody loves a classic

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Meadowscaping for biodiversity is a healthy activity.

Meadowscaping for Biodiversity Meadowscaping for Biodiversity: A Garden That Gives Back. Meadow construction is a powerful way to bring beauty and biodiversity to your yard while restoring ecological health. Unlike traditional lawns that offer little habitat, meadows support pollinators, birds, and beneficial insects—all while being lower maintenance and more climate-resilient. Native grasses and prairie plants

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Plants that attract butterflies and hummingbirds are native species.

Are Butterflies Pollinators? Yes—butterflies are pollinators! While bees tend to get most of the credit for pollination, butterflies also play a crucial role in maintaining healthy ecosystems. Additionally, butterflies help plants reproduce. Their long, slender legs and proboscis (a straw-like tongue) allow them to access nectar deep within flowers, transferring pollen from bloom to bloom

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The benefits of composting include a beautiful natural world.

Benefits of Composting Composting is one of the most powerful and accessible acts of environmental care we can practice. Every day, we take from the soil. We eat plants that grew from it. We step on it, build over it, till into it and ask it to give more and more. But how often do

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Wildflower seeds

Wildflower Seeds.  How our Wildflower Seeds are different. Most “wildflower seed” mixes available on the market today utilize a blend of annuals + introduced plants, sometimes including a tiny smidgen of the most common indigenous perennial species. In contrast, our small batch, locally grown seed vault is composed of 100% native species perennials, 100% of

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Cooperating with nature is what permaculture's about.

What Is Permaculture? A Beginner’s Guide to Sustainable Living. Permaculture is a design philosophy that works with nature rather than against it. Rooted in ethics and principles that prioritize sustainability, permaculture integrates agriculture, ecology, and community development to create systems that regenerate rather than deplete resources. Whether you’re growing food, designing a landscape, or planning

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protect native plants from deer

  Protecting Plants from Deer. The Mild Winter Affect. Altogether the mild winter this year gave way to an exploding mammal population in spring. Undoubtedly there are more chipmunks, squirrels, rabbits, woodchucks, skunks and deer than normal. A seasonally typical year results in some natural checks and balances to wildlife populations. Conversely, a snowstorm absent

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A Elfin butterfly on Rattlesnake Master native plant in the butterfly nurseries.

Butterfly Nurseries. Butterfly Nurseries: Healing the Ecosystem One Garden at a Time Imagine transforming your yard into a sanctuary where butterflies thrive, and the environment begins to heal itself. With a “butterfly nursery” in your garden, you can do just that. This concept goes beyond simply planting a few flowers—it’s about creating a habitat that

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Hibiscus, Black Eyed Susan and Aster.

Cool Plants: Native Species That Bring the Wow Factor. At Jessecology, we’re in love with native plants. They’re beautiful, functional, and a vital part of a thriving ecosystem. But some natives are just plain cool. Today, we’re spotlighting five unforgettable species that make a bold impression in any garden: Little Joe Pye, Rattlesnake Master, Giant

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What are the benefits of buying native plants? Because they're the most beautiful plants in the world! For wherever you are.

Benefits of Native Plants: Why use native plants? Top 5 Benefits of Native Plants. Biodiversity: Planting native species helps to support and enhance local biodiversity. Natives provide food and habitat for a variety of insects, birds, and other wildlife species that are adapted to your region. By creating a diverse and balanced ecosystem in your

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When you rewild lawns, there's an explosion of life all around!

Rewild Lawns. Rewilding the human spirit. The push to rewild lawns is happening spontaneously as the wild spirit of humans awakens. Rewilding is a wonderful and relaxed form of land management that anyone with plant literacy and land can practice. Essentially it boils down to removing any invasive plants and letting the natural seed bank

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Blue Lobelia works well in Delmar and Slingerlands, NY front yard pollinator gardens.

Front Yard Pollinator Garden The front yard pollinator garden movement is transforming our culture. Even HGTV has caught on to the will of the people to have more life and nature in their suburban and urban front yards. For decades, vacation was considered a brief relaxation state of being physically away from home. Traditional vacations

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Organizing the meadow landscaping material.

2024 Design-Build Project Review: Albany Pinebush Meadow Landscaping Transformation At Jessecology, every project is unique and precious, but the pièce de résistance for 2024 design-build project is unparalleled. Our homeowners entrusted us to transform their entire ~1/2 acre property into a breathtaking Albany Pinebush-style meadow. Located nearby the Pinebush park, their home is technically within

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Edible food forest gardens.

Edible Food Forest Gardens: Permanent Native Agriculture that Feeds People and Wildlife. At Jessecology, we’ve been building Edible Food Forest Gardens for over 15 years. These gardens nourish both humans, the wildlife and the neighborhood’s ecosystem. Food Forests mimic the layers of a natural forest. They feature fruit trees, berrying shrubs, herbs, vegetables, and beneficial

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Habitat restoration landscaping

Habitat Restoration Landscaping: Rebuilding Ecosystems One Yard at a Time Habitat restoration landscaping is an effective way to support biodiversity, rebuild ecosystems, and promote environmental sustainability. As urbanization continues to expand, natural habitats are disappearing. By restoring landscapes with native plants and sustainable practices, homeowners, businesses, and communities can help reverse this trend. What is

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