Tasteful Outdoor Lighting, Responsibly

Jennifer NicholsField Notes

I was recently asked if GreenWeaver installs outdoor lighting. Any good business person would immediately jump on this opportunity to sell additional services to a client, but I always respond to this question with reservation. As an environmentally responsible landscape company, how do we justify adding services that require electricity, have the potential to damage the night-time ecology, and can …

Example landscape design

What to Know When Working With a Professional Landscape Designer

Lee ArmilleiField Notes

Working with a professional landscape designer can be a very rewarding experience. Professional designers turn your ideas into reality and can avoid costly mistakes in the process. They consider the site, seasonal changes, plant requirements, spacing, wildlife, and your vision, and put it all on paper. A designer is a person trained in horticulture who can dream up beautiful and …

Stop Fall & Winter Deer Damage to Your Trees

Jennifer NicholsField Notes

So you think you’re out of the woods with deer damage now that leaves have fallen? Think again. Bucks rub their antlers this time of year so protect your trees- whether they’re small or up to six inches in diameter! Why do bucks rub? Bucks grow antlers, shed the velvety coating on their antlers, and then shed their antlers on …

Fantastic Fall Foliage

Lee ArmilleiField Notes

While many of us learned long ago that the splendid fall color in leaves is created by a loss of chlorophyll, the colors left behind depend upon a number of factors. Plant species, temperature, growing conditions and more, all play a role in the colors we see in the autumn landscape. Let’s explore why we are going to see some …

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

Jennifer 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 …

Native shade plants

Shady Garden Plants for Summertime

Jennifer NicholsField Notes

By now all of you GreenWeaver fans should have your native shade tree planted on the southwest corner of your house for energy efficiency, wildlife habitat, and comfort just in time for the summer heat! The next question is: What do you plant under it? Or in any shady location on your property? We all know that turf grass does …

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). …