Ah, the beautiful respite of Fall. Things are starting to cool off as pumpkin lattes and children with backpacks abound. It can be easy to be taken away by the sights and smells, the beauty and the rhythm of this season… I hate to bring it up, but this feels very similar to the calm before the (multiple) storms in the winter of 2015. Remember this? This New Englander had no idea he’d be…
After a record-breaking winter of snow, many Boston-area gardeners and homeowners are wondering what they will find when the snow and ice melt. Here’s a glimpse into what you can expect for spring 2015, and how to repair winter damage in the landscape: Hardscape cracks – Paved surfaces like driveways, walks and patios may have cracked concrete and popped up paving stones. Pavers and stones can easily be re-leveled, but concrete may need to be patched…
When winter temps drop below 0, Boston-area gardeners may need to exercise special care to protect plants. As average temperatures have warmed in recent years, the USDA has shifted its plant hardiness zones, so that much of eastern Massachusetts now falls within zone 6b, where it was 6a in the 1990 edition. In layperson’s terms, this means that many of the “hardy” zone 6 plants sold by local nurseries may only tolerate an average winter…
Frost Warning for the Boston AreaTonight – Tips from Mahoney’s Nurseries: The weather forecast is calling for overnight temperatures in the low 30’s (possibly upper 20’s) and the probability of frost for many Massachusetts towns. If you have purchased and planted any tender plants, you’ll want to protect your investment by moving them inside if at all possible, or covering them if they’re already planted. It’s always best to move plants inside (especially tender plants…
Two-plus months in to the year, how are you doing with those New Year’s resolutions? Luckily, the gardening year in the Boston area is just starting, so you have a chance to start off on the right foot with your outdoor plans. Doing a thorough and careful spring clean up lays the groundwork (no pun intended!) for a year of trouble-free gardening: Prune dead and broken branches from ornamental trees and shrubs, repairing any snow…
In addition to choosing us for installation of beautiful patios, long-lasting driveways, and colorful plantings, many of our design-build customers turn to us for their regular landscape maintenance. What sets our maintenance service apart as a complete Outdoor Lifestyle Management program is the attention our maintenance customers receive, and the way that they are connected to a multitude of valuable services. A dedicated account manager is on-site with the crew, and serves as liaison to…
When do I prune this? How high should I mow my lawn? Can I cut back my perennials after they turn brown? Get answers to these and other basic organic maintenance questions by downloading this simple checklist. Then, go deeper with landscape tips and design ideas from our bi-monthly newsletter. Enjoy! Something we forgot to answer? Give us a shout on Facebook or Twitter, and we’ll try to help.
Mid summer is the true test of your landscape’s heath. Are layered planting beds, mulch, and turf thick enough to shade and cool the soil, withstanding drought and out-competing weeds, or are pests proliferating? If pests are getting the better of your lawn or garden, here are emergency and long-term solutions: Crabgrass is an annual weed that grows from seed each year. It loves hot, dry weather, and picks up steam just as fussier lawn grasses are…
In a recent Customer Advisory Board meeting, someone mentioned that “sustainability” has become a meaningless term. If we are to say that we do sustainable landscape design, construction, and maintenance, we have to define our terms. To that end, here’s an inventory of our sustainable practices. In developing these standards for ourselves, we have drawn from the Standards of the Northeast Organic Farming Association’s Organic Landcare Committee, the 2009 Sustainable Sites Initiative (SSI) benchmarks– it’s kinda like LEED for landscapes —…
We’re doing fall clean-ups and saying our goodbyes to many of you for the year, but please remember that the work of protecting your landscape investment is not done! Now is the time for: Getting those last bulbs in so you have early spring color Wrapping or spraying anti-dessicant on evergreens (esp. rhododendrons, boxwoods, yews) Protecting marginally hardy perennials and shrubs with extra mulch of pine needles, salt marsh hay, etc. Deer protection, if needed…
