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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Pollinator Garden Kit. Unquestionably, nonprofits in NYS are doing a lot of volunteer work on behalf of the environment right now. Obviously, it’s an exciting time to work in the green industry. We were delighted to be approached by the Niskayuna based Environmental Clearinghouse last year for a successful collaborative effort. Jessecology’s Pollinator Garden Kits
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Invasive Species in NY + Kindness PRISM At Jessecology, we’ve been conscious of the environmental destruction and devastation that invasive species plants can cause for almost 2 decades. And so, we admire and have huge respect for community resources like PRISM, based out of Cornell Cooperative Extension. All things considered, helping educate the public and
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DIY Planting Native Plants. Every year our company receives more and more, and more requests for design plans for DIY planting native plants gardens. The excitement for the growing environmental movement is thrilling. We love all the energy and effort towards healing our ecosystem and eco-renewal! And we’d love to respond to all the new
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Garden Stewardship. The Key to Eco-Garden Success: Good Garden Stewardship Practices. The first 3 years are everything. Creating an eco-garden filled with native plants is an essential step toward restoring biodiversity and supporting local ecosystems. However, successful native species landscaping projects do not end at installation. Rather, intentional and skilled stewardship is the key to
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Do plants have feelings? The mystery intrigues gardeners, ecologists, and anyone who spends time in nature. Ancient Christian legends teach that nature did not experience the fall of man. Thus, the earth’s flora and fauna still exist in a pristine state of paradise. While plants don’t have souls like humans, they exhibit fascinating responses to
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Forest Gardening Forest Gardening Forest gardening is a revolutionary approach to sustainable landscaping that mimics the natural structure of a forest. By carefully layering plants, from towering trees to ground-hugging herbs, a forest garden creates a self-sustaining ecosystem. Not only does this method provide food, but it also nurtures wildlife, conserves water and enhances soil
Do Deer Eat Pumpkins? Do deer eat pumpkins? This question is not so flippantly dismissed as the Deer + Mums query. Because pumpkins are amazing. Whether you love pumpkin spice lattes, pumpkin cheesecake, pumpkin bread, roasted pumpkin seeds or just a happy orange globe of decoration you can’t do fall without the pumpkins. We
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The history of garden gnomes is whimsical and intriguing. Generally, folklore, craftsmanship, and popular culture are all spotlighted. Origins in European Folklore The history of garden gnomes traces its roots to European folklore, especially in Germany and Scandinavia. In these traditions, gnome-like creatures were guardians of the earth. People believed these beings brought good luck,
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Plants Deer Eat. Plants Deer Eat: A Permaculture Approach to Managing Deer in Your Garden Altogether, one of the most persistent challenges is managing gardens gracefully with deer populations nearby. While these elegant creatures are a beautiful part of the ecosystem, they can also wreak havoc on carefully curated gardens. For those who want
Urban Gardening: Transforming City Spaces with Native Plants Urban gardening is more than just a trend—it’s a movement that’s transforming concrete jungles into vibrant green spaces. For city dwellers with limited access to nature, creating an urban garden offers a unique opportunity to connect with the environment, promote biodiversity, and improve well-being. What’s so special
Landscape Installation Landscape installation by professionals is a logical, connected second phase of the professional landscape design and planning process. In recent years, people have become more aware of general environmental crises. Unseasonable weather has been hard to ignore, especially in geographic regions with catastrophic weather phenomena. Two out of three indigenous American songbird species
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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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What is a rain garden? From an article elsewhere on our blog: “Rain gardens are the future of stormwater management. Imagine a system that harnesses nature to re-engineer a site to capture and sequester toxic runoff before it even starts. And habitat restoration with native plants for butterfly + pollinator gardens are part of the
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Bioretention Pond A bioretention pond is essentially a sophisticated feature of rain gardens. Not every rain garden needs a bioretention zone. Many rain gardens can exist in blissful simplicity. But on sites with serious drainage issues, large quantities of water, it may be necessary to do some excavation work. Layers of different sized strata help