Invasive Plant Management

Jen NicholsField Notes

It’s a great time of year to be outside.  Temperatures and humidity are lower, and we don’t need to bundle up yet. If you have taken this opportunity to stroll around your property and quickly became discouraged because it looks like a jungle out there, take heart. Fall and winter are a great time to regain control of invasive plants, and …

Landscape Planning

Landscape Consultations

Jen NicholsField Notes

Do any of the following describe your situation in the garden: You don’t mind doing yard work, but you aren’t sure how to manage your property. With a tight budget, you don’t know how you can execute on your great ideas. You want to improve your property over time, but you are not sure where to start. If any of …

how much does a patio cost

Estimating the Cost of a Patio

Lee ArmilleiField Notes

Often, a patio is the keystone to the landscape, with gardens and lawn as supporting components. These project costs vary widely however, with many options. So, if you have been thinking about a new hardscape, read on to see what goes into the estimating a patio or walkway. Variables On every patio project, access, site conditions, size, and aesthetics impact …

Landscapes at the Farm Show?

Jen NicholsField Notes

Have you ever been to the Pennsylvania Farm Show? If not, you don’t know what you are missing. With free admission and $15 parking, it could be the best deal in the state!   So what is there to see and do at the Farm Show? With over 6,000 animals and over 10,000 exhibits it is difficult to decide! Below …

Protect Your Trees From Deer Now!

Jen NicholsField Notes

Bucks rub their antlers this time of year, so protect your trees from deer damage- whether they’re small or even up to six inches in diameter! Why do deer damage trees? Male deer, or bucks, grow antlers, loose the velvety coating on their antlers, and then shed their antlers on a yearly basis. They rub their antlers on low branches …

When to reach for pesticides... not here!

What to Know Before Reaching for Pesticides

Lee ArmilleiField Notes

Pesticides are natural or synthetic products that are designed to kill, prevent, repel, or mitigate pests. A pest may be a weed, insect, animal, fungus, or another type of living organism. Sub-categories of pesticides include herbicide, insecticide, rodenticide, fungicide, and more. When you see the suffix “cide” it typically means “act of killing”. Pesticides come in various forms, including liquids, …

Update: Monarch Populations

Jen NicholsField Notes

Last September, I wrote an article on Monarch butterfly migration and noted that Monarch butterfly populations are in severe decline. In fact, the winter of 2013 recorded the lowest population of butterflies returning to Mexico ever with populations reduced by 90% over the last 25 years. So this year, as summer draws to a close and these incredible insects prepare …

Turf Alternatives to Reduce Mowing

Lee ArmilleiField Notes

Mowing the lawn is wasteful. If you hire a service, you’re spending dollars and if you mow your own lawn, you’re spending your time (arguably more valuable!). But regardless of who does the mowing, the process is consuming fossil fuels and releasing air pollution.

Important Pruning Tips from Landscape Pros

Lee ArmilleiField Notes

So your landscape is filling in, and it looks simply gorgeous, but for how long will it last? Often the key to maintaining a healthy, vigorous garden is actually to cut it back. Promote the kind of growth you want and manipulate plants for their best features by pruning. Definitions To get started, let’s define some general pruning terms: Prune …

7 Simple Steps To Reduce Pain From Pruning

Dan HeltzerField Notes

Let’s face it, pruning can be a real pain in the . . . wrist – or hand — or forearm. A couple hours spent squeezing a pruning tool with force and repetition may cause muscle tenderness or even debilitating pain within 12-24 hours. This kind of post-pruning (or post-workout) discomfort is referred to as delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS). …