Landscaping for Privacy Basically, if you’re lucky, you’ll have awesome neighbors. People who live right near you that you can share space and joy with are a blessing from God. Neighborhood barbecues and tea shared on the porch with people you actually like are amazing gifts. It’s not always that way. Additionally, even folks who […]
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Flowers That Attract Hummingbirds and Butterflies Blooms for the Buzz: Native Flowers That Attract Hummingbirds and Butterflies In the world of eco-landscaping, few things bring more joy than seeing hummingbirds and butterflies fluttering around your garden. These pollinators not only add a dynamic, vibrant element to your space but also play a crucial role in
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Pine Tree Gardens A recent rainy Monday found us 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 sister site
Rewild Lawns. 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 express itself. Rewilding is
In the northeastern US, having a butterfly garden is one of the finest life experiences possible. We need more open spaces where sun-loving butterflies can make their living. Forests cover much of the northeast. Butterflies prefer open meadows and gardens where they can sunbathe. Some people like to research how to build their own butterfly
Lemon Grass Tea. Lemon Grass Tea is popular for various reasons. Medical research does not indicate that using this tea results in any benefits. Nevertheless, people seem to love it. But should they? Thai Food + Lemongrass tea. Of course, Thai food is amazing. Undeniably, the zing in Thai food from zesty Lemongrass is a
Monarch Butterfly Plants Certainly, Monarch butterfly plants are Milkweed (Asclepias) species if referring to the butterfly host plant. The adult, female butterflies can only lay eggs on Milkweed plants. Monarch larvae (caterpillars) require Asclepias species foliage to survive. Over millennia the butterfly species has adapted to tolerate the specific toxic stew of the Milkweed plant’s
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Wildflower Seed Sowing Instructions. To be sure: you’ve asked and now we’re responding. Here are the wildflower seed sowing instructions you need to grow native plants at home! To begin with, you will want a 5-gallon bucket and some organic compost or topsoil for best results. Put your compost or soil in the bucket. Pour
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Pollinator Gardens in Albany, NY To be sure, in the past few years, many customers have reached out requesting pollinator gardens in Albany, NY. We love it! Native plants are exactly what we need for urban habitat restoration. Many of our clients live in the neighborhoods surrounding SUNY Albany or the College at Saint Rose.
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Native Seed Bombs: a way to get active in environmental conservation right where you are. A big thank you to the Clifton Park Library programs department for hosting a native seed ball making event!! Why Make Native Seed Balls? Native seed bombs serve as tiny capsules of hope, carrying within them the potential to transform
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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Beautiful Butterfly Gardens The Beauty and Function of Butterfly Gardens and Native Plants in Eco-Landscaping. In the realm of modern American sustainable landscaping, no other practice embodies the essence of environmental consciousness as well as butterfly gardens featuring native plants. All things considered, it’s not enough for new outdoor spaces to only captivate the eye.
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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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Climate Resilient Landscaping Looking into the future, climate resilient landscaping is everything. Climate resilient landscaping is more than a new buzzword. Did you know we can actually affect the health of the planet with the choices we make in our gardens? Climate resiliency is a thing that humans can build. Being thoughtful about our consumption
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Natural Landscaping Ideas Besides just “using native plants,” what comes to mind when you want some natural landscaping inspiration? In general, cooperating with the land and celebrating what’s there is a good start. There’s a lot of inspiration just waiting for you right where you are. If you slow down in your garden, you’ll collect
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Fall Garden Plants. Fall is really the best time of the year for planting perennials, trees and shrubs. In the spring and summer, plants are concerned with their aerial parts growth and procreation. In the warmer months, plants pay less attention to their root development. There are good reasons to plant during these warm months,
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Rain Gardens in Niskayuna, NY In beautiful Niskayuna, NY near the Mohawk River, there are a lot of families who have called our company in recent years to create new rain gardens on their wetland adjacent properties. We love this work. Rain gardens are the future of stormwater management. Imagine a system that harnesses nature
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Wildflower Yard. Creating a wildflower yard is an act of conservation, artistry, experimentation and possibly even performance art in higher visibility sites. People do love to watch a new native garden develop. Butterflies, songbirds, bumblebees, dragonflies, hummingbirds and mammals will also keep an eye on your new low maintenance centerpiece. There’s a learning curve for
The act of restoring wetlands is one that invests in a healthy future legacy for the region’s ecosystem. Wetland restoration is simple at heart. Much like the rewilding motif of garden design, invasive species are removed and natives are added or supported. Wetlands ecosystem function is similar to the kidneys in a mammal’s body.
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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