Sweeneys Custom Landscaping Articles
DIY Bird Seed
The sun settled into the saddle back of the hill, and tumbled off into the twilight. The shorter Winter days gave way to blushing lavender sunsets, cool and terse. Welcome January. As we begin to settle into our Winter routines while looking forward to Spring, why just fill our bird…
8 Tips for Selecting & Caring for Your Live Christmas Tree
The last of the Oaks discharged their leathery leaves, and the deciduous canopy was completely absent from the landscape. Stark and exposed, their skeletal forms seemed vulnerable and fragile in contrast to the lush, green boughs of the Evergreens who seemed to stand a bit taller with great hubris and beauty….
Feed Them, and They Will Come
The cloudless sky bore the sun’s full potential while the earth exhaled and uncoiled, basking in its warmth and affection. The landscape seemed to soften and stretch in the golden rays as all of God’s creatures took advantage of her benevolence. A rare gift indeed. During early Winter to early-Spring,…
Light My Fire: Fireplace Safety & Tips
November is like a bridge, offering us passage into the season ahead. As the landscape sheds its autumnal overcoat and bares its stark and barren beauty, we linger before winter’s slumber. We take stock of our lives, and the people we care for, and the comfort of hearth and home….
Honoring Our Veterans
Raucous, brazen October gave way to a quieter, austere November who begs us to slow down, take notice, appreciate, and wonder. We too must do the same and take stock of our lives and the people who mean the most to us, whether it be family, friends, customers, employees, vendors,…
Preparing Trees & Shrubs for Winter
November extinguished the landscape ablaze, leaving only a few smoldering embers amongst the ashes. The trees stood unadorned and humbled as their Autumnal attire laid at their feet. The great sentinels now stood vulnerable and exposed. With Winter nipping at our heels, and the threat of consistent hard frosts (even a…
A Prelude to Halloween
The fractured moonlight bludgeoned its way through the clouds and splintered through the trees. Jagged shadows stirred and spread across the ground, pulsating in the cracked light. The night was alive! A veritable playground for the wicked and cursed. A prelude to Halloween. It’s hard to believe we’re in the…
Options for Overwintering Containers
Blushed and tinged by the blustery, cool winds and subdued sun of October, the landscape was transforming. Nature was starting to slow and savor, wholly at ease. Decreasing sun light and cooler temperatures have set the season in motion. And there are certain preparations that should be made. Container…
Surviving First Frosts
As the wind whipped through the canopies, animating every leaf and limb, their shadows cast a violent display on the ground – flickering wildly and unhinged. Fallen leaves thrashed and raged against their new seasonal station. Now that temperatures are beginning to cool and nighttime temperatures beginning to plummet, frost…
Put Your Leaves to Work
October caramelizes the landscape with deeply saturated tones and sweet, mellow flair. The static display of Summer foliage turns dynamic, each species unique in color, smoldering in the brisk, cool air. In addition to vivid displays, trees drop their leaves in an effort to conserve energy and nutrition for…
True Colors: The Science Behind Fall Foliage
The mellow, ripened sun struck the match that would soon set the landscape ablaze in brilliant umber, vermilion, gold, scarlet and smoky plum. The verdant greens of Summer would soon smolder in the deep, rich tones of Autumn’s palette, and the show is about to start. As trees prepare for…
What’s Wrong with My Evergreens?
Sweet, sultry September invites each and every tree to the grand Autumn ball where Summer’s verdant robes are shed for the opulent, jewel tones of the season. Although we tend to think only of deciduous trees, evergreens too undergo change in Fall. As you know, waning daylight and cooler…