With larger and more frequent storms, it is important to understand how to manage drainage and erosion on your property. Learn the do’s and don’ts of managing stormwater by reading these tips! Drainage Drainage is the act of removing water from a site. If done too quickly, drainage causes erosion. If done too slowly, yards and basements are soggy and …

Bring beauty, movement and color to your yard this winter and invite birds with an attractive landscape! Like all creatures, birds need shelter, water, and food to survive. Provide these things for our feathered friends to attract birds to your property. Create Shelter Of the three elements necessary for our birds, providing shelter is probably the easiest. While bird houses may be …

Some gardening projects, like removing invasive plants are easier to do in the winter. Winter is a great time to tackle invasive plants because leaves have fallen making access to certain “wild” areas easier and making the plants themselves easier to handle. Thorny, invasive plants are also much easier to deal with when wearing long sleeves or a jacket. Invasive …

Of all the watering tips we offer as landscape professionals, the most important one is to follow the adage, ‘Right plant, right place”. Appropriate design and plant selection ensures your garden beds will be lush and full during most of the year, regardless of the weather. There is a time however, when even well designed gardens need supplemental watering. That …

Whether you take care of your own property, or you have someone maintain it for you, there are common mistakes we frequently see in the landscape. Learn to avoid these landscape mistakes and save yourself time, money, and frustration! Landscape Mistake #1: Trees planted too deeply Like other living things, woody plants are comprised of different types of tissue which …

Perform the Chelsea Chop by cutting back certain perennials by 1/3′. If done in early June, your plants will have a later or longer bloom time and a bushier habit. Try this with asters, Black-eyed Susans, or experiment with others.  Help control Spotted Lanternfly! Our gardeners have been finding Spotted Lanternfly in the nymph stage on several properties. Penn State Extension has information about control and identification here. Prune flowering shrubs …

The problem with many butterfly gardens is that they tend to be butterfly nightclubs. Basically, these gardens are for adults. Take the ubiquitous butterfly bush (Buddlia davidii) for example. You may find it covered with butterflies, but where are the caterpillars? Not only is butterfly bush now on many invasive species lists, it provides virtually no food value to caterpillars, …

Some insects are simply fascinating.  An example of this is the beautiful Mourning Cloak butterfly.  A brown-red butterfly with cream colored edges and blue spots on the wings, Mourning Cloaks are often the first butterflies to appear in spring. Winter Survival Strategies Insects use several different mechanisms to survive the winter including migration, communal living, and diapause, which is a …

As someone who has been in the landscape industry for many years, I have often heard that good landscaping increases property values 15%. Upon a quick internet search, I found numbers ranging from 8% to 20%. Regardless of actual numbers, in real estate, professionals consistently recommend increasing the curb appeal of your home. So what steps should you take to …