Winter can be tough in the mid-Atlantic with school closings, stressful commutes, and bitter cold weather.  Well, in addition to winter being difficult on people, it can be damaging to our landscapes.  Assess your property for winter damage to prepare for this upcoming growing season. Broken branches The most obvious damage to plants are downed trees or broken branches.  Snow …

Have you had enough of snow recently?  Do you have cabin fever?  Here are a couple of ideas to beat the winter blues. Go on a photo shoot Snow days are great days to take pictures.  The world seems fresh, clean, and bright after a snow, so grab your camera and get outdoors! Go birding Birds are easier to see …

When was the last time you drove over a bridge and appreciated a pretty stream below?  Or walked down a trail through quiet woods? Or stopped to watch a fox trotting through a meadow? If you have done any of these things recently, there is a good chance that you can thank your local conservation group.  So much of our …

I used to work at a garden center, where the owner almost disdainfully talked about horticulturists as ‘Latin speakers’.  I believe he thought people were snobbish, or were trying to appear highly educated when they used the botanical names for plants.  If that is not the reason, why do people use a dead language, like Latin, when discussing plants? The …

“In wildness is the preservation of the world.” – Henry David Thoreau “In wildness is the preservation of the world.” Henry David Thoreau Before we can thoughtfully discuss sustainable landscapes, we should define a sustainable landscape. “A sustainable site links natural and built systems to achieve balanced environmental, social and economic outcomes and improves quality of life and the long-term …