Get a Head Start on Your Garden

Lee ArmilleiField Notes

Winter is a time for rest and contemplation in the landscape. After the shifting and changing of colors in the fall, the leaves drop and expose views we only get to see at this one time of year.  To some, those “winter views” evoke the beauty within the shape and structure of tree branches; others call to mind the views …

Using Autumn Leaves in the Landscape

Lee ArmilleiField Notes

I used to work at a flower shop in downtown West Chester. It was beautiful there every season, but particularly in autumn, when the gold, rust, and crimson leaves complimented the brick red sidewalks. One of the flower shop neighbors hated fall leaves though… so much so that he would rake and blow the leaves off his trees to expedite …

Greener, Healthier Lawns… Organically

Lee ArmilleiField Notes

Maybe you’ve noticed your neighbors’ properties covered in dirt at the end of the summer. For a week it looks a mess, but by the beginning of the next week that dirt disappears and their lawn is looking much fresher and brighter than yours. Even the texture appears softer and more even. What could have been in all that dirt …

Support Your Local Bees

Lee ArmilleiField Notes

A major aspect of sustainable landscaping is using native plants to support habitat. Although one goal is to support bird and mammal habitat, we should also recognize the habitat native plants provide for native bees.  Unlike exotic bees that have become naturalized in the United States (honey bees, yellow jackets), most native bees are solitary creatures. As solitary creatures, they …