Native Species Awakening. Gardeners often have an unexpected learning curve when they begin to add native plants to their gardens. In springtime, when native species wildflowers wake up from winter dormancy it can seem underwhelming for a while. The immediate gratification of vegetable gardening and big box store plant shopping are obstacles to true real […]
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Time Builds Beauty Time Builds Beauty. Landscapes are not created all at once. They unfold. In native gardens especially, the most meaningful changes happen gradually, shaped by seasons, soil, and time. While modern landscaping often promises instant results, ecology tells a quieter truth. Time builds beauty. In the Beginning. In the first year after planting,
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Caring for large gardens is quite a different fête from caring for small gardens. The maintenance routine required to keep a small native garden thriving is often quite manageable. Weeding monthly is usually a breeze after plants are established. It’s fairly common knowledge by now that using native plants returns a low maintenance garden
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Native Garden Spring Cleanup: The Right Way to Clean Up a Pollinator Garden. Native wildflowers and grasses don’t wake up alone in spring. The insects, amphibians, spiders and reptiles wake up with them. Native Garden Spring Cleanup: Be Patient to Start. Many of the pollinators, beetles, moths, butterflies, and native bees that visited your garden
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Ecosystem Services. Ecosystem services refer to the benefits that humans derive from functioning ecosystems. These services can be categorized into four general types: provisioning services, regulating services, supporting services, and cultural services. Responsible and thoughtful landscaping plays a crucial role in enhancing and maximizing these ecosystem services. Provisioning Services: Provisioning services involve the tangible products
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Norway Maple tree vs Sugar Maple. Native Sugar Maples (Acer saccharum) and invasive Norway Maples (Acer platanoides) can seem similar at first, but there are key differences. Identifying these differences is important for preserving native ecosystems. Here’s how to tell them apart: 1. Leaf Shape and Texture Sugar Maple: The leaves have five distinct lobes
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Naturalistic Planting. The internationally renowned landscape designer and plantsman Piet Oudolf has popularized a new design style known as naturalistic planting. And so, in the NYC Highline Garden and all the worldwide Botanical Gardens Mr. Oudolf has designed, you can see this theme of beautiful, organized chaos. Natural beauty is celebrated in all its wildness
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Invasives + Kindness. (continued). Several years ago we began a deep exploration into healthy land restoration after invasives have devastated a site. The problem is real and gross. For example, in Saratoga Springs, NY the beautiful public park on High Rock Rd is haunted by invasive Japanese Knotweed. Behind the park to the west side,
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Corporate campus landscaping Corporate Campus Landscaping: Transform Your Workplace into a Living Ecosystem. Surprisingly, corporate campuses across the country are beginning to rethink what landscaping can be. Traditional landscaping looks tidy from a distance, but it comes with constant mowing, chemical inputs, irrigation systems, and high maintenance costs. Native plant landscaping flips that script. A
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Blue Vervain (Verbena hastata) is a beautiful and versatile plant that is native to North America. It is a tall, slender plant with spikes of deep blue flowers that bloom from June to September. The plant can grow up to 4-6 feet in height. As a matter of fact, it has a wide range of
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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 express itself. Rewilding is not like formal garden development. A new garden bed is not created, and soil amending isn’t
Matrix Planting What Is Matrix Planting? Matrix planting is a design approach where a dominant, continuous ground layer supports and stabilizes a comparatively smaller number of feature plants that emerge through it. Think of the matrix basically as the living fabric of the garden. The structure further integrates everything else. Ecologically, this mirrors how real
Landscape Transformation Process Landscape Transformation Process: Every great garden begins with a little faith. The before stage can look bare, messy, or even disappointing at first. Bare soil. Open space. A lot of possibility. This is the starting line of transformation, and it’s where every beautiful landscape begins. Landscape Transformation Process: The “During” Phase
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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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Japanese Knotweed Remediation Japanese Knotweed Remediation: Listening to the Soil Beneath the Problem Japanese Knotweed is altogether often labeled an enemy. It spreads quickly, dominates disturbed land, and challenges even experienced land stewards. Yet this plant is not appearing by accident. Its presence is a signal. Japanese Knotweed thrives where soil chemistry is deeply imbalanced
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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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Corporate pollinator garden projects. Corporate Pollinator Garden Projects: Renewing the Local Ecosystem while Saving Money on Maintenance Costs. In general, corporate habitat garden projects are one of the most effective ways for a business to create visible, lasting good. When a company chooses to replace turfgrass with organic native wildflowers, the results ripple outward. A
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Progress of a Project: Before, During, After Every great private landscape begins with uncertainty. At first, the before stage can look dull, like there’s too much lawn or just generally unfinished. However, this is exactly where transformation begins. The progress of a project starts long before anything looks beautiful. Progress of a Project: Let’s Gooo!
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How much mulch do I need? How Much Mulch Do I Need? (Simple Guide) Mulch is one of the easiest ways to improve your garden. It helps retain moisture, suppress weeds, and makes your beds look beautiful. But how much do you actually need? Use this quick guide to calculate the right amount. Measure Your
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Low-Maintenance Hillside Landscaping with Native Plants (and Natural Erosion Control That Lasts). A steep slope or hillside can be one of the trickiest areas of a landscape—but it can also become one of the most beautiful. Instead of fighting erosion with constant mulching, mowing, or retaining wall repairs, a low-maintenance hillside can thrive naturally when
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