Is dyed mulch bad for plants? Is Dyed Mulch Bad for Plants? Yes — dyed mulch is bad for plants and people. It’s debatable that it may look attractive at first, but the risks far outweigh the benefits. At Jessecology, we recommend avoiding dyed mulch in your garden or landscape. What is Dyed Mulch? […]
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What is Mulch? What Is Mulch? Mulch is one of the simplest features of a healthy garden. At its core, mulch is a topdressed layer of organic matter spread on the soil surface. It helps suppress weeds, conserve moisture, and regulate soil temperature. For new gardens in particular, mulch plays a crucial role in protecting
What Does Open Pollinated Mean? If you spend time in a garden or browsing seed catalogs, you may have seen the phrase open pollinated. But what does this mean, and why does it matter for gardeners? Open Pollination = True Breeding = Non-Hybrid. Open pollinated plants are those that reproduce naturally, with pollination occurring through
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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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What Is a Permaculture Garden? A Beginner’s Guide to Sustainable Growing A Natural System Right at Home. A permaculture garden is a place to grow food. And additionally, it’s much more than that. Imagine a living, breathing system designed to mimic and cooperate with nature. Unlike traditional gardens that often rely on constant inputs like
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Compost Tea: The Garden’s Magic Water If there’s one panacea solution to most garden problems, it might be compost tea. This “magic water” is made by steeping finished compost in water. Aeration and a bit of molasses help feed the microbes and bring the mix to life. Microbial Density off the charts: The result is
Perennials to plant in fall. Book an estimate now. Cooperate with nature. When you plant your garden in fall, you mimic nature’s rhythm exactly. Cooperating with nature makes all the garden work much easier. In autumn, the visible parts of perennials are beginning to go dormant. But underground? The roots are stimulated by the lower
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Homesteading: Living Closer to the Land Homesteading in modern America is a definite lifestyle trend. Although this may be true, it is also a return to living in harmony with the land. Many people choose homesteading to grow their own food, raise animals, and reduce dependence on industrial supply chains. At Jessecology, we see homesteading
Apple Picking in Upstate NY: Top 5 Places to Visit. Top 5 Apple Picking Farms to Visit. 1. Your own backyard. Seriously, why not? Plant some apple trees today and soon you’ll never need to leave home for apple picking. You can do the planting yourself or hire a professional. 2. Saratoga Apple. Located in
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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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Sustainable Gardening/Landscaping: The 5 Principles. Sustainable Gardening/Landscaping: The 5 Principles: Part I. When explicitly distilled down to basics, responsible landscaping is actually pretty simple. Sticking to the 5 “best practice” principles for eco-landscaping especially empowers gardeners to physically create a better world through their work. Continuing education regarding plant literacy coupled with a willingness to
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Invasive plant species New York. Invasive Plant Species in New York: What to Watch For. Invasives are certainly a growing problem across New York State. These non-native plants spread aggressively, soon outcompeting native species, disrupting ecosystems, and reducing biodiversity. Whether you’re a homeowner, land manager, or nature lover, it’s important to know which plants to
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How is Maple Syrup made? Maple syrup is one of nature’s sweetest gifts, and its creation is a beautiful process rooted in seasonal rhythms and careful timing. Made from the sap of Sugar Maple trees, this delicious syrup is collected, boiled, and bottled through a series of simple but precise steps. The process begins in
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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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Joe Pye (Eupatorium sp.) Joe Pye Weed: A Pollinator Magnet with Surprising Diversity If you’ve spent any time exploring native meadows, wet ditches, or sunny woodland edges in eastern North America, you’ve likely encountered Joe Pye Weed. With its towering stems crowned by dusky mauve flower clusters, this charismatic perennial is a favorite of bees,
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Cardinal Flower Lobelia (Lobelia cardinalis) Cardinal Flower Lobelia: The Heartbreaker Native Plant If you’ve ever fallen in love with one lone native plant, chances are it was Cardinal Lobelia (Lobelia cardinalis). With its brilliant red blooms and magnetic pull for hummingbirds, it’s often called the “gateway drug” to native gardening. But like many intense first
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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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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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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 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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