Seasons

  Despite the bone gnawing temperatures, the Wrens, Warblers and Chickadees seem at ease, flitting here and there in the garden, darting between trees and chirping all the while.  They are tiny, compact birds whose weight barely bows the grassy stems of the spent Coneflower as they snatch tiny seeds from its head.  They are a…

  I had nearly forgotten this stage – the lull between a full canopy of vibrant foliage and the cleansing innocence and allure of a snow-covered world.  The landscape seems a bit thin and bare, and the sunlight is mostly unfiltered and brash, but I see beauty.  Beauty in the form of naked structure, unadulterated form,…

I have a favorite tree.  His name is Bruce.  He’s an Oak.  There’s nothing particularly special or different about Bruce, except he’s mine.  He’s mine in the sense that he resides in my yard.  He’s rather mature.  Mature in reference to his size, not his personal philosophies, which I’m sure are…

I was right…kind of, well, not really.  A few weeks back as I was complaining about the heat and humidity, I introduced the thought of a solar vortex, likening it to this winter’s polar vortex but with opposite effect.  As it turns out, the polar vortex is alive and well and can…

    The weather has been, um, just impossible.  I cannot think of a better term to describe the preposterous, ridiculous high temperatures and humidity.  Sure, September is a fickle lass, but she’s starting to get on my nerves.  Thankfully, the remainder of the week looks decent, but where is…

  We love our trees.  We love our trees as landscapers, as homeowners, and as human beings.  We value their beauty, shade, and environmental significance.  Trees are valuable.  But can you put a price on their value?  Can you quantitatively estimate their value…in dollars?  The answer is yes.   The USDA…

  I’ve heard this plight many times before and for many years, but I had no idea how dire the situation has become.  Bee colonies are continuing to die off at an alarming rate.  The Department of Agriculture states there was an average loss of 30.5% of the population as opposed…

  It’s here! It’s official!  It’s Spring!   What’s that?  You want me to double-check my facts?  You say it feels nothing like Spring?  Your what is frozen to your what?  I know.  I feel the same.  Spring hasn’t exactly rolled out the welcome mat.   Well, maybe she has, but Winter’s busy…

Since my last post, I don’t believe it has rained much, if at all, and the temps continue to rise.  Our lawns are going dormant – turning a yellowish-brown, and some trees are dropping their inner leaves in an effort to conserve their dwindling supply of water and nutrients.  With…

With the onset of summer temperatures, oppressive humidity to be exact, I have a confession to make.  I really don’t spend much time outdoors when temperatures start to exceed 80 degrees with 100% humidity.  I run to my air-conditioned car from the air-conditioned house, and to the air-conditioned office from my air-conditioned car, and you get…

Location, location, location!  You’re going to need a warm, sunny location in order to attract butterflies.  These beauties are cold-blooded creatures that require sun to warm their bodies, so locate a place within your yard that offers lots of sun and protection from the wind – perhaps near a wall, fence or…

Ornamental grasses are pretty darn neat.  In fact, my parents have an entire garden dedicated to grasses, albeit small, it’s a beautiful addition to the landscape.  Ornamental grasses have the ability to add movement to a landscape, something we don’t always consider.  In fact, to play upon that theme, my…