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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Climate Change + Gardens. Climate Change + Gardens: Future-Proofing with Biodiversity and Soil Health. As climate change intensifies, environmentally conscious homeowners are facing new gardening challenges. Extreme weather patterns, shifting plant hardiness zones, and emerging pests, novel invasive plants and diseases are reshaping landscapes. But by taking proactive steps, we can design resilient, future-proof gardens.
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Save Yaddo Gardens via Modern Sustainable Methods. Yaddo Gardens, nestled at Exit 15 in Saratoga Springs, is a beloved landmark. Designed by Katrina Trask—a visionary artist, philanthropist, and poet—the gardens are an ornate masterpiece tied to deep history and emotion. Katrina, a true Enneagram 4, channeled her grief and passion into these gardens. Her vision
Low Maintenance Modern Front Yard Landscaping Low maintenance front yard landscaping is a new communication tool to indicate who’s cool in neighborhoods, in recent years. People have learned that landscaping doesn’t need to be high maintenance and involve chemicals at all. The earth wants to express beauty. Steering it is possible if you hire professionals
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Native plant landscape designer. What Is a Native Plant Landscape Designer? (And how Jessecology became the premier incubator space in the NYS ecology/horticulture industry to introduce new native plant landscape designers to the field.) Jesse Peters’ Formative Years. Jesse Peters, the founder of Jessecology, was born in Vermont. Certainly, growing up immersed in the wild
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Calico Aster (Symphyotrichum lateriflorus) – A Late-Season Pollinator Magnet Calico Aster (Symphyotrichum lateriflorus) is a charming native perennial that blooms in the final act of the growing season. Common across eastern North America, it thrives in woodland edges, meadows, roadsides, and other semi-shaded habitats. This small-flowered aster is an essential part of the native fall
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Native plants for New York State gardens. Native Plants for New York State Gardens. If you’re planning a garden in New York State, native plants are the best choice you can make. These plants evolved in our local ecosystems, meaning they’re naturally adapted to the climate, soil, and wildlife of the region. Native plants are
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How to Attract Dragonflies to Your Garden. How to Attract Dragonflies to Your Garden If you’re looking for a natural way to reduce mosquitoes in your yard, attracting dragonflies is one of the best strategies. These graceful insects are not only beautiful—they’re also powerful pest controllers. A single dragonfly can eat hundreds of mosquitoes and
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Buying Native Plants. Why Buying Native Plants from a Local, Organic Nursery Sets Your Garden Up for Real Success. When you’re planning a native plant garden, where you buy your plants matters—a lot. Sure, mail-order catalogs might seem convenient. But if you’re looking for true success, resilience, and long-term beauty in your landscape, there’s no
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Common Landscaping Mistakes and How to Avoid Them. Common Landscaping Mistakes. Common landscaping mistakes are not common-sense events. Landscaping is an art and a science. A well-planned outdoor space enhances property value, supports biodiversity, and provides long-term beauty with minimal maintenance. However, many homeowners and even some professionals make common landscape mistakes that can lead
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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
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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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
How to Create an Indoor Herb Garden for Year-Round Freshness Indoor herb gardens are a wonderful way to source fresh, organic ingredients into your kitchen all year. Whether you’re an experienced gardener or just starting out, creating an indoor herb garden is easy and rewarding. Additionally, it’s a great step towards sustainability by reducing food
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Pine Tree Gardens A recent rainy Monday found the Jessecology team on a break near a Pine Forest in the Albany Pinebush Nature Preserve. This nature preserve is a 2-minute walk from the garden we were working in; a 10-minute drive from downtown Albany and 20 minutes from Saratoga. This particular wildlife habitat is a
Permaculture Design: When Weeds Talk. Continued from the invasive plant series. Part I. II. III. Permaculture Design re: plant interpretation. Plants spontaneously show up on land and colonize a micro-region sometimes. Usually this is viewed as a headache at best. And yet, using permaculture principles, a weed colony can be interpreted as a communication about
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Why are Dandelions Bad (Or Are They?) Dandelions (Taraxacum officinale) are one of the most recognizable plants in lawns and gardens across North America. But are they truly bad, or just misunderstood? Let’s explore the history of dandelions, their impact on the ecosystem, and why they’re not worth waging war against. The History of Dandelions
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Monarch Butterfly Garden Creating the Perfect Monarch Butterfly Garden: Beyond Milkweed Monarch butterflies are one of the most beloved pollinators in our gardens. Of course, they are famous for their epic migration and striking orange and black color schema. To support these beautiful creatures, many people plant Milkweed (Asclepias sp.), which is the essential larval
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NY Ironweed (Vernonia noveboracenis) NY Ironweed: A Bold Choice for Native Gardens NY Ironweed (Vernonia noveboracensis) is a must-have for anyone restoring habitat and adding stunning beauty to their landscape. This tall, sturdy plant can reach up to 7 feet. Its vivid purple blooms create a bold pop of color in late summer when other flowers
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Do Deer Eat Roses? Yes, let’s cut to the chase: deer eat roses. Because of course they do. But that’s the good news- now you don’t have to plant roses. All of a sudden, you’re freed up to do something much cooler in your garden space! Basically, there are much more interesting perennials than Roses. Additionally, most
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