Blog Posts

There are a couple of very common mistakes made by DIYs (and some contractors).  Mistake number 1 is cutting out your bed before picking your plantings.  The tendency is to cut a 3-4’ wide bed and to plant 1 ½’ from the wall of the house.  Very few plants will have...

 As a designer I may be a bit biased but I do appreciate the value each provides.  Landscape architects are left-brainers with strong math and science skills.  Where some may lack in plant knowledge and artistic sense they excel in long range planning.  If you are...

Grasses are usually easy to grow in a sunny garden.  One tip that usually helps however is to cut them back in early Spring instead of Fall.  Most varieties are near the northern edge of their hardiness here.  Leaving the foliage for the winter helps to insulate the...

Soil Improvements If you have decent soil it isn’t always necessary to add soil amendments but there are times when it is very important.  If your soil is sandy or gravelly it pays to add organic matter.  Compost or a mix of topsoil and manure will help.  For clay...

 Shrub Trimming Basics As a rule all flowering shrubs are best trimmed right after they bloom.  Evergreen bloomers like azaleas and rhododendrons get trimmed in late Spring.  Summer bloomers like Rose of Sharon can be trimmed in late Fall or early Spring.  Evergreens...

  In general the plants are ok with either. I suggest steering clear of very dark stone though as it gets hot in the sun and can burn plant foliage. White stone does not get hot but it is impossible to keep white.   Crushed stone is often the most cost-effective...